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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: bank · wind · cap · charge · temple · stem · kid · rock

  1. When was this ________________ built?
  2. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  3. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  4. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  5. The tickets are free of ________________.
  6. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  7. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  8. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  9. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  10. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  11. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  12. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  13. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  14. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  15. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  16. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  17. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  18. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  19. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  20. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  21. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  22. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  23. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  24. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — a place of worship
  2. temple — side of the head
  3. cap — a hat
  4. charge — electricity
  5. charge — a price
  6. stem — of a plant
  7. cap — of ice
  8. rock — music
  9. rock — to move gently
  10. bank — of a river
  11. cap — a lid
  12. wind — moving air
  13. wind — moving air
  14. rock — a stone
  15. kid — child
  16. stem — a stem cell
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  19. bank — for money
  20. charge — in control
  21. bank — for money
  22. kid — to tease
  23. stem — to come from
  24. wind — to turn a key

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