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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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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 · trunk · band · stem · rule · sharp · track · dip

  1. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  2. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  3. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  4. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  5. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  6. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  7. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  8. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  9. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  10. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  11. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  12. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  13. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  14. When was this ________________ built?
  15. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  16. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  17. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  18. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  19. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  20. It's one o'clock ________________.
  21. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  22. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  23. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  24. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — to come from
  2. dip — to sink
  3. rule — to rule out
  4. track — to keep track
  5. track — a path
  6. rule — government
  7. stem — a stem cell
  8. stem — of a plant
  9. band — a rubber band
  10. track — a song
  11. temple — side of the head
  12. band — a ring
  13. trunk — of a tree
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. dip — a sauce
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. sharp — with an edge
  18. trunk — of a car
  19. trunk — of an elephant
  20. sharp — exactly
  21. rule — a law
  22. dip — to dunk
  23. sharp — clever
  24. band — a music group

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