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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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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: suit · temple · stem · bound · march · season · net · face

  1. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  2. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  3. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  4. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  5. Did you ________________ the meat?
  6. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  7. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  8. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  9. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  10. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  11. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  12. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  13. When was this ________________ built?
  14. When will it ________________ you to start?
  15. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  16. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  17. That was ________________ to happen.
  18. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  19. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  20. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  21. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  22. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  23. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  24. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — of a plant
  2. march — music
  3. suit — clothes
  4. season — in sport
  5. season — to add flavour
  6. stem — a stem cell
  7. face — to point toward
  8. march — the month
  9. net — after costs
  10. net — for catching
  11. face — to confront
  12. net — in sport
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. suit — to fit
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. bound — obliged
  17. bound — certain
  18. stem — to come from
  19. march — the month
  20. face — part of the head
  21. season — of the year
  22. suit — in cards
  23. bound — tied together
  24. temple — side of the head

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