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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: bank · mouse · stem · land · roll · temple · date · hand

  1. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  2. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  3. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  4. Have you settled on a ________________?
  5. We're on a ________________ here.
  6. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  7. When are we going to ________________?
  8. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  9. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  10. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  11. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  12. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  13. When was this ________________ built?
  14. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  15. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  16. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  17. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  18. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  19. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  20. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  21. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  22. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  23. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  24. I got dealt a bad ________________.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. stem — to come from
  2. hand — help
  3. bank — of a river
  4. date — on the calendar
  5. roll — on a roll
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. land — to come down
  8. date — the fruit
  9. land — ground
  10. temple — side of the head
  11. roll — a list
  12. bank — for money
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. mouse — for a computer
  15. stem — a stem cell
  16. bank — for money
  17. land — a country
  18. roll — a cake
  19. stem — of a plant
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. hand — part of the body
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. date — on the calendar
  24. hand — in cards

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com