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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 120 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 · bank · bat · stem · fine · bear · spell · pit

  1. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  2. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  3. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  4. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  5. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  6. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  7. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  8. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  9. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  10. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  11. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  12. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  13. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  14. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  15. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  16. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  17. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  18. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  19. How do you ________________ your surname?
  20. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  21. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  22. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  23. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  24. When was this ________________ built?

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

Answer key

  1. fine — all right
  2. stem — of a plant
  3. bank — for money
  4. bear — the animal
  5. pit — a fruit stone
  6. stem — to come from
  7. temple — side of the head
  8. stem — a stem cell
  9. fine — high quality
  10. spell — magic
  11. spell — a short time
  12. pit — a hole
  13. pit — in a race
  14. bear — to put up with
  15. bank — for money
  16. bank — of a river
  17. bat — in an idiom
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. spell — letters
  20. bat — the animal
  21. bat — for baseball
  22. bear — the animal
  23. fine — a penalty
  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