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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: temple · firm · cap · wave · dip · chest · stem · jam

  1. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  2. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  3. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  4. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  5. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  6. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  7. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  8. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  9. When was this ________________ built?
  10. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  11. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  12. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  13. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  14. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  15. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  16. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  17. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  18. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  19. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  20. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  21. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  22. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  23. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  24. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — decided
  2. wave — of the sea
  3. cap — of ice
  4. stem — of a plant
  5. chest — of your body
  6. wave — a sudden rise
  7. cap — a hat
  8. chest — a box
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. dip — a sauce
  12. firm — a company
  13. wave — with your hand
  14. firm — steady
  15. cap — a lid
  16. stem — a stem cell
  17. jam — to spread on bread
  18. jam — a tight spot
  19. dip — to dunk
  20. stem — to come from
  21. temple — side of the head
  22. jam — in traffic
  23. chest — of your body
  24. dip — to sink

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