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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: bowl · stem · bound · board · temple · tear · chest · track

  1. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  2. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  3. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  4. When was this ________________ built?
  5. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  6. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  7. That was ________________ to happen.
  8. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  9. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  10. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  11. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  12. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  13. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  14. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  15. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  16. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  17. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  18. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  19. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  20. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  21. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  22. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  23. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  24. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — of a plant
  2. temple — side of the head
  3. stem — to come from
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. tear — to rip
  6. bowl — to roll
  7. bound — certain
  8. bowl — a dish
  9. track — a path
  10. tear — from crying
  11. bound — obliged
  12. board — to get on
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. chest — of your body
  15. stem — a stem cell
  16. bound — tied together
  17. bowl — a football final
  18. tear — from crying
  19. chest — of your body
  20. track — to keep track
  21. track — a song
  22. board — a flat piece
  23. board — a committee
  24. chest — a box

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