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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: saw · stem · bound · wake · cue · bear · date · temple

  1. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  2. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  3. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  4. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  5. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  6. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  7. She's very handy with a ________________.
  8. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  9. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  10. He works in a ________________ mill.
  11. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  12. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  13. When was this ________________ built?
  14. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  15. That was ________________ to happen.
  16. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  17. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  18. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  19. Have you settled on a ________________?
  20. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  21. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  22. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  23. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  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. saw — past of 'see'
  2. date — on the calendar
  3. wake — a trail
  4. bear — the animal
  5. wake — before a funeral
  6. temple — side of the head
  7. saw — the tool
  8. wake — to stop sleeping
  9. stem — of a plant
  10. saw — the tool
  11. cue — a signal
  12. stem — to come from
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. bound — certain
  16. bound — tied together
  17. cue — a hint
  18. cue — for pool
  19. date — on the calendar
  20. bear — the animal
  21. bear — to put up with
  22. date — the fruit
  23. bound — obliged
  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