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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: date · track · temple · firm · stem · plane · foot · wave

  1. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  2. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  3. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  4. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  5. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  6. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  7. Have you settled on a ________________?
  8. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  9. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  10. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  11. The ________________ took off on time.
  12. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  13. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  14. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  15. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  16. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  17. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  18. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  19. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  20. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  21. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  22. When was this ________________ built?
  23. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  24. Many English words ________________ from Latin.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a path
  2. firm — a company
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. track — to keep track
  5. date — the fruit
  6. stem — of a plant
  7. date — on the calendar
  8. wave — a sudden rise
  9. date — on the calendar
  10. temple — side of the head
  11. plane — an aircraft
  12. foot — a measure
  13. plane — in geometry
  14. firm — decided
  15. wave — of the sea
  16. firm — steady
  17. plane — a tool
  18. foot — part of the body
  19. foot — the bottom
  20. track — a song
  21. stem — a stem cell
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. wave — with your hand
  24. stem — to come from

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