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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: fork · hide · date · mouse · swing · temple · stem · current

  1. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  2. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  3. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  4. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  5. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  6. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  7. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  8. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  9. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  10. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  11. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  12. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  13. David sat on the ________________.
  14. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  15. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  16. Have you settled on a ________________?
  17. When was this ________________ built?
  18. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  19. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  20. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  21. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  22. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  23. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  24. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — a garden tool
  2. stem — to come from
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. date — on the calendar
  6. stem — a stem cell
  7. hide — animal skin
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. swing — music
  11. temple — side of the head
  12. fork — to eat with
  13. swing — to play on
  14. mouse — for a computer
  15. date — the fruit
  16. date — on the calendar
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. current — of water
  19. swing — in golf
  20. current — happening now
  21. stem — of a plant
  22. fork — in a road
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. current — electric

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