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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: stem · mate · pound · bound · field · temple · nail · row

  1. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  2. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  3. The ________________ went through the wall.
  4. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  5. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  6. Have you found your soul ________________?
  7. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  8. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  9. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  10. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  11. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  12. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  13. When was this ________________ built?
  14. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  15. That was ________________ to happen.
  16. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  17. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  18. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  19. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  20. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  21. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  22. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  23. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  24. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.

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

Answer key

  1. row — to paddle
  2. field — a subject
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. temple — side of the head
  5. mate — to breed
  6. mate — a partner
  7. bound — tied together
  8. mate — a friend
  9. pound — a weight
  10. pound — for dogs
  11. nail — on a finger
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. stem — of a plant
  15. bound — certain
  16. stem — to come from
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. row — a line
  19. field — farmland
  20. field — for sport
  21. bound — obliged
  22. pound — to hit hard
  23. row — a quarrel
  24. stem — a stem cell

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