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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: row · temple · stem · fall · jam · branch · rash · bowl

  1. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  2. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  3. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  4. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  5. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  6. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  7. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  8. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  9. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  10. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  11. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  12. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  13. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  14. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  15. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  16. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  17. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  18. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  19. When was this ________________ built?
  20. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  21. Don't do anything ________________.
  22. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  23. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  24. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — the season
  2. jam — to spread on bread
  3. branch — a division
  4. bowl — a football final
  5. row — a line
  6. rash — a series
  7. rash — on the skin
  8. fall — to drop
  9. temple — side of the head
  10. bowl — to roll
  11. branch — of a bank
  12. branch — of a tree
  13. fall — to drop
  14. row — a quarrel
  15. jam — a tight spot
  16. stem — of a plant
  17. stem — to come from
  18. jam — in traffic
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. bowl — a dish
  21. rash — hasty
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. row — to paddle
  24. stem — a stem cell

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