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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: tube · craft · kick · file · toast · stem · bank · temple

  1. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  2. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  3. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  4. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  5. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  6. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  7. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  8. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  9. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  10. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  11. When was this ________________ built?
  12. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  13. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  14. I'll be taking the ________________.
  15. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  16. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  17. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  18. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  19. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  20. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  21. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  22. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  23. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  24. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — the most admired
  2. tube — a container
  3. bank — for money
  4. bank — for money
  5. stem — a stem cell
  6. craft — boats
  7. temple — side of the head
  8. craft — a skill
  9. stem — to come from
  10. stem — of a plant
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. file — a document
  13. toast — a drink to someone
  14. tube — the underground
  15. file — a tool
  16. craft — a handicraft
  17. toast — bread
  18. kick — a thrill
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. bank — of a river
  21. file — a line of people
  22. kick — in football
  23. tube — in a tire
  24. kick — with a leg

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