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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: stick · firm · bound · ground · lie · stem · temple · bear

  1. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  2. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  3. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  4. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  5. There's no middle ________________.
  6. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  7. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  8. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  9. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  10. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  11. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  12. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  13. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  14. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  15. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  16. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  17. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  18. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  19. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  20. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  21. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  22. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  23. When was this ________________ built?
  24. That was ________________ to happen.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — tied together
  2. bound — obliged
  3. firm — a company
  4. lie — to recline
  5. ground — a position
  6. firm — steady
  7. stick — to attach or keep to
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. temple — side of the head
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. stem — a stem cell
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. bear — to put up with
  15. bear — the animal
  16. stem — of a plant
  17. bear — the animal
  18. stem — to come from
  19. ground — the earth
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. firm — decided
  22. ground — crushed
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. bound — certain

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