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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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 · stem · plane · mine · saw · spring · rest · chip

  1. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  2. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  3. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  4. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  5. When was this ________________ built?
  6. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  7. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  8. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  9. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  10. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  11. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  12. The ________________ took off on time.
  13. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  14. He works in a ________________ mill.
  15. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  16. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  17. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  18. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  19. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  20. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  21. She's very handy with a ________________.
  22. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  23. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  24. She's sitting on a gold ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — the season
  2. plane — in geometry
  3. temple — side of the head
  4. stem — of a plant
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. mine — belonging to me
  7. spring — a coil
  8. stem — a stem cell
  9. chip — in a computer
  10. plane — a tool
  11. mine — an explosive
  12. plane — an aircraft
  13. rest — a break
  14. saw — the tool
  15. chip — for betting
  16. chip — to eat
  17. spring — of water
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. saw — past of 'see'
  20. stem — to come from
  21. saw — the tool
  22. rest — what's left
  23. rest — what's left
  24. mine — for digging

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