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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: last · cold · key · tube · bound · band · stem · temple

  1. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  2. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  3. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  4. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  5. This piece is in a major ________________.
  6. The water is too ________________.
  7. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  8. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  9. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  10. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  11. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  12. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  13. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  14. That was ________________ to happen.
  15. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  16. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  17. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  18. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  19. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  20. When was this ________________ built?
  21. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  22. I'll be taking the ________________.
  23. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  24. False peace will not ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — in a tire
  2. stem — of a plant
  3. band — a music group
  4. temple — side of the head
  5. key — in music
  6. cold — not warm
  7. tube — a container
  8. band — a rubber band
  9. key — the most important part
  10. bound — tied together
  11. stem — a stem cell
  12. last — finally
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. bound — certain
  15. bound — obliged
  16. cold — the Cold War
  17. band — a ring
  18. last — final
  19. stem — to come from
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. cold — an illness
  22. tube — the underground
  23. key — for a lock
  24. last — to go on

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