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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: branch · ground · mine · rush · temple · press · lie · stem

  1. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  2. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  3. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  4. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  5. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  6. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  7. That must've been a ________________.
  8. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  9. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  10. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  11. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  12. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  13. When was this ________________ built?
  14. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  15. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  16. Did you ________________ the button?
  17. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  18. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  19. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  20. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  21. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  22. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  23. There's no middle ________________.
  24. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — side of the head
  2. mine — an explosive
  3. mine — belonging to me
  4. branch — of a bank
  5. stem — a stem cell
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. rush — a thrill
  8. lie — to recline
  9. mine — for digging
  10. stem — to come from
  11. press — newspapers
  12. ground — crushed
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. branch — a division
  15. ground — the earth
  16. press — to push
  17. stem — of a plant
  18. rush — hurry
  19. rush — to hurry
  20. branch — of a tree
  21. press — a publisher
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. ground — a position
  24. temple — a place of worship

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