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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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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: date · wound · temple · firm · track · dip · hand · stem

  1. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  2. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  3. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  4. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  5. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  6. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  7. Have you settled on a ________________?
  8. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  9. When was this ________________ built?
  10. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  11. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  12. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  13. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  14. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  15. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  16. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  17. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  18. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  19. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  20. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  21. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  22. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  23. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  24. He keeps ________________ of his days.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to sink
  2. firm — steady
  3. stem — a stem cell
  4. firm — a company
  5. firm — decided
  6. stem — to come from
  7. date — on the calendar
  8. track — a path
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. stem — of a plant
  11. dip — to dunk
  12. wound — past of 'wind'
  13. date — the fruit
  14. hand — in cards
  15. track — a song
  16. hand — help
  17. wound — an injury
  18. wound — an injury
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. temple — side of the head
  21. date — on the calendar
  22. hand — part of the body
  23. dip — a sauce
  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