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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: stem · temple · dip · last · rock · cap · nail · bass

  1. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  2. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  3. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  4. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  5. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  6. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  7. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  8. When was this ________________ built?
  9. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  10. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  11. False peace will not ________________.
  12. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  13. The ________________ went through the wall.
  14. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  15. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  16. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  17. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  18. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  19. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  20. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  21. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  22. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  23. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  24. The polar ice ________________ is melting.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — music
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. rock — to move gently
  4. nail — on a finger
  5. dip — a sauce
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. cap — a hat
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. bass — low music
  10. temple — side of the head
  11. last — to go on
  12. last — finally
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. dip — to dunk
  15. bass — the instrument
  16. last — final
  17. stem — a stem cell
  18. stem — of a plant
  19. bass — the fish
  20. stem — to come from
  21. rock — a stone
  22. cap — a lid
  23. dip — to sink
  24. cap — of ice

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