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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 · bound · bank · race · nail · stem · lean · bat

  1. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  2. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  3. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  4. That was ________________ to happen.
  5. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  6. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  7. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  8. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  9. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  10. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  11. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  12. The ________________ went through the wall.
  13. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  14. When was this ________________ built?
  15. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  16. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  17. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  18. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  19. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  20. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  21. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  22. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  23. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  24. We are ________________ to obey laws.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to bend
  2. lean — thin
  3. bank — for money
  4. bound — certain
  5. race — the arms race
  6. bound — tied together
  7. race — a contest
  8. race — humankind
  9. stem — a stem cell
  10. bat — in an idiom
  11. stem — to come from
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. bank — of a river
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. bat — the animal
  16. temple — side of the head
  17. bat — for baseball
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. stem — of a plant
  20. nail — on a finger
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. lean — to rest against
  23. bank — for money
  24. bound — obliged

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