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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: track · content · file · temple · deal · stem · lash · perch

  1. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  2. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  3. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  4. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  5. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  6. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  7. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  8. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  9. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  10. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  11. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  12. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  13. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  14. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  15. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  16. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  17. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  18. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  19. When was this ________________ built?
  20. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  21. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  22. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  23. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  24. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — side of the head
  2. content — videos and posts
  3. track — to keep track
  4. stem — to come from
  5. file — a document
  6. deal — a big deal
  7. stem — of a plant
  8. lash — an eyelash
  9. deal — an agreement
  10. file — a line of people
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. perch — the fish
  14. lash — to lash out
  15. deal — to handle
  16. track — a song
  17. track — a path
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. content — happy
  21. file — a tool
  22. lash — a whip stroke
  23. content — the amount
  24. stem — a stem cell

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