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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: bay · deal · mate · chip · rush · temple · stem · bound

  1. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  2. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  3. That must've been a ________________.
  4. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  5. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  6. When was this ________________ built?
  7. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  8. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  9. That was ________________ to happen.
  10. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  11. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  12. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  13. My mare is ________________ in color.
  14. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  15. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  16. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  17. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  18. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  19. Have you found your soul ________________?
  20. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  21. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  22. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  23. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  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. rush — to hurry
  2. temple — side of the head
  3. rush — a thrill
  4. bay — to keep at bay
  5. mate — a friend
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. chip — for betting
  8. rush — hurry
  9. bound — certain
  10. bay — a part of the sea
  11. chip — in a computer
  12. stem — of a plant
  13. bay — a horse colour
  14. deal — a big deal
  15. mate — to breed
  16. stem — a stem cell
  17. deal — to handle
  18. chip — to eat
  19. mate — a partner
  20. bound — obliged
  21. bound — tied together
  22. deal — an agreement
  23. stem — to come from
  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