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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: degree · lash · bank · band · temple · stem · pop · lie

  1. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  2. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  3. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  4. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  5. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  6. When was this ________________ built?
  7. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  8. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  9. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  10. You don't need to ________________ round.
  11. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  12. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  13. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  14. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  15. We're almost out of ________________.
  16. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  17. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  18. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  19. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  20. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  21. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  22. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  23. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  24. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?

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

Answer key

  1. degree — from a university
  2. stem — to come from
  3. band — a music group
  4. lash — to lash out
  5. lash — a whip stroke
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. temple — side of the head
  8. stem — a stem cell
  9. band — a ring
  10. pop — to visit
  11. degree — temperature
  12. bank — for money
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. band — a rubber band
  15. pop — soda
  16. bank — for money
  17. pop — music
  18. lash — an eyelash
  19. stem — of a plant
  20. lie — to recline
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. bank — of a river
  24. degree — an amount

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