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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: temple · pop · saw · press · track · stem · last · straw

  1. You don't need to ________________ round.
  2. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  3. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  4. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  5. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  6. He works in a ________________ mill.
  7. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  8. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  9. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  10. Did you ________________ the button?
  11. We're almost out of ________________.
  12. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  13. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  14. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  15. She's very handy with a ________________.
  16. When was this ________________ built?
  17. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  18. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  19. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  20. False peace will not ________________.
  21. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  22. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  23. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  24. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — to visit
  2. track — a path
  3. stem — of a plant
  4. stem — a stem cell
  5. press — newspapers
  6. saw — the tool
  7. straw — dry grass
  8. last — finally
  9. track — to keep track
  10. press — to push
  11. pop — soda
  12. straw — to clutch at straws
  13. pop — music
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. saw — the tool
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. stem — to come from
  18. last — final
  19. press — a publisher
  20. last — to go on
  21. track — a song
  22. straw — a straw man
  23. saw — past of 'see'
  24. temple — side of the head

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