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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 120 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: track · stem · fan · bound · firm · temple · rush · row

  1. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  2. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  3. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  4. When was this ________________ built?
  5. That must've been a ________________.
  6. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  7. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  8. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  9. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  10. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  11. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  12. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  13. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  14. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  15. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  16. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  17. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  18. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  19. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  20. That was ________________ to happen.
  21. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  22. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  23. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  24. Can you turn the ________________ on?

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

Answer key

  1. row — a line
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. rush — to hurry
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. rush — a thrill
  6. firm — decided
  7. stem — of a plant
  8. track — a path
  9. stem — to come from
  10. bound — obliged
  11. firm — a company
  12. row — to paddle
  13. rush — hurry
  14. firm — steady
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. bound — tied together
  17. row — a quarrel
  18. temple — side of the head
  19. track — to keep track
  20. bound — certain
  21. stem — a stem cell
  22. track — a song
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. fan — to cool the air

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