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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: mate · stem · track · temple · tear · key · hide · bear

  1. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  2. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  3. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  4. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  5. This piece is in a major ________________.
  6. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  7. Have you found your soul ________________?
  8. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  9. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  10. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  11. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  12. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  13. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  14. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  15. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  16. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  17. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  18. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  19. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  20. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  21. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  22. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  23. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  24. When was this ________________ built?

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. mate — a friend
  4. key — the most important part
  5. key — in music
  6. track — to keep track
  7. mate — a partner
  8. tear — to rip
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. bear — to put up with
  11. stem — of a plant
  12. bear — the animal
  13. temple — side of the head
  14. track — a song
  15. hide — animal skin
  16. tear — from crying
  17. key — for a lock
  18. mate — to breed
  19. bear — the animal
  20. tear — from crying
  21. stem — to come from
  22. stem — a stem cell
  23. track — a path
  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