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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: row · rest · mate · fine · capital · leaves · temple · stem

  1. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  2. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  3. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  4. Have you found your soul ________________?
  5. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  6. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  7. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  8. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  9. When was this ________________ built?
  10. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  11. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  12. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  13. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  14. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  15. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  16. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  17. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  18. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  19. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  20. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  21. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  22. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  23. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  24. I would like to have a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — to come from
  2. mate — to breed
  3. fine — high quality
  4. mate — a partner
  5. mate — a friend
  6. stem — a stem cell
  7. fine — a penalty
  8. rest — what's left
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. leaves — to go away
  11. temple — side of the head
  12. rest — what's left
  13. leaves — of a tree
  14. capital — money
  15. leaves — lets stay
  16. row — a quarrel
  17. capital — a city
  18. fine — all right
  19. row — to paddle
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. capital — a big letter
  22. stem — of a plant
  23. row — a line
  24. rest — a break

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