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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: row · temple · track · chair · bound · stem · dip · wound

  1. That was ________________ to happen.
  2. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  3. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  4. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  5. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  6. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  7. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  8. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  9. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  10. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  11. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  12. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  13. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  14. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  15. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  16. When was this ________________ built?
  17. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  18. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  19. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  20. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  21. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  22. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  23. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  24. He keeps ________________ of his days.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — certain
  2. stem — to come from
  3. wound — an injury
  4. stem — of a plant
  5. wound — an injury
  6. row — a quarrel
  7. dip — to dunk
  8. row — a line
  9. track — a song
  10. bound — obliged
  11. bound — tied together
  12. row — to paddle
  13. chair — a leader
  14. temple — side of the head
  15. wound — past of 'wind'
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. track — a path
  18. chair — to sit on
  19. dip — to sink
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. dip — a sauce
  22. chair — a professorship
  23. stem — a stem cell
  24. track — to keep track

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