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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: temple · mark · fall · roll · rush · board · last · stem

  1. We're on a ________________ here.
  2. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  3. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  4. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  5. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  6. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  7. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  8. That must've been a ________________.
  9. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  10. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  11. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  12. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  13. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  14. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  15. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  16. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  17. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  18. False peace will not ________________.
  19. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  20. When was this ________________ built?
  21. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  22. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  23. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  24. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — on a roll
  2. board — a committee
  3. roll — a cake
  4. mark — a grade
  5. rush — to hurry
  6. roll — a list
  7. last — finally
  8. rush — a thrill
  9. stem — to come from
  10. fall — the season
  11. last — final
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. board — a flat piece
  14. temple — side of the head
  15. rush — hurry
  16. fall — to drop
  17. fall — to drop
  18. last — to go on
  19. stem — of a plant
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. stem — a stem cell
  22. board — to get on
  23. mark — to pay attention
  24. mark — a trace

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