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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: bound · stem · suit · pop · mine · rock · temple · nail

  1. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  2. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  3. That was ________________ to happen.
  4. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  5. The ________________ went through the wall.
  6. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  7. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  8. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  9. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  10. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  11. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  12. We're almost out of ________________.
  13. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  14. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  15. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  16. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  17. When will it ________________ you to start?
  18. You don't need to ________________ round.
  19. When was this ________________ built?
  20. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  21. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  22. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  23. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  24. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?

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

Answer key

  1. suit — clothes
  2. mine — belonging to me
  3. bound — certain
  4. pop — music
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. rock — to move gently
  7. nail — on a finger
  8. bound — obliged
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. rock — a stone
  11. stem — of a plant
  12. pop — soda
  13. bound — tied together
  14. suit — in cards
  15. mine — an explosive
  16. stem — to come from
  17. suit — to fit
  18. pop — to visit
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. temple — side of the head
  22. mine — for digging
  23. stem — a stem cell
  24. rock — music

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