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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 120 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: clip · mark · temple · stem · tear · pass · bank · current

  1. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  2. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  3. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  4. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  5. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  6. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  7. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  8. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  9. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  10. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  11. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  12. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  13. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  14. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  15. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  16. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  17. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  18. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  19. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  20. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  21. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  22. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  23. When was this ________________ built?
  24. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. tear — from crying
  3. bank — for money
  4. temple — side of the head
  5. pass — to spend time
  6. current — happening now
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. tear — from crying
  9. stem — a stem cell
  10. stem — to come from
  11. bank — of a river
  12. mark — to pay attention
  13. current — electric
  14. tear — to rip
  15. clip — for paper
  16. current — of water
  17. mark — a trace
  18. pass — a permit
  19. clip — to cut
  20. mark — a grade
  21. pass — to succeed
  22. clip — a video
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. stem — of a plant

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