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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: mark · temple · tear · nail · branch · pass · track · stem

  1. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  2. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  3. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  4. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  5. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  6. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  7. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  8. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  9. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  10. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  11. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  12. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  13. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  14. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  15. When was this ________________ built?
  16. The ________________ went through the wall.
  17. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  18. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  19. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  20. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  21. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  22. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  23. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  24. You can't go backstage without a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. tear — from crying
  3. pass — to succeed
  4. track — a song
  5. branch — of a bank
  6. track — to keep track
  7. stem — to come from
  8. mark — a trace
  9. tear — to rip
  10. track — a path
  11. branch — a division
  12. stem — a stem cell
  13. branch — of a tree
  14. stem — of a plant
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. mark — to pay attention
  18. nail — on a finger
  19. pass — to spend time
  20. mark — a grade
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. tear — from crying
  23. temple — side of the head
  24. pass — a permit

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