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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: temple · saw · perch · club · bound · nail · stem · bank

  1. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  2. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  3. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  4. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  5. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  6. When was this ________________ built?
  7. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  8. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  9. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  10. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  11. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  12. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  13. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  14. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  15. The ________________ went through the wall.
  16. He works in a ________________ mill.
  17. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  18. That was ________________ to happen.
  19. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  20. She's very handy with a ________________.
  21. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  22. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  23. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  24. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — the fish
  2. bank — of a river
  3. bound — tied together
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. club — a group
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. nail — on a finger
  8. stem — of a plant
  9. bound — obliged
  10. club — for golf
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. bank — for money
  13. temple — side of the head
  14. saw — past of 'see'
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. saw — the tool
  17. stem — to come from
  18. bound — certain
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. saw — the tool
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. stem — a stem cell
  23. bank — for money
  24. club — for dancing

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