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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: spring · stem · key · temple · cell · pit · bank · wake

  1. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  2. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  3. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  4. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  5. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  6. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  7. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  8. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  9. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  10. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  11. He was locked up in a ________________.
  12. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  13. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  14. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  15. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  16. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  17. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  18. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  19. When was this ________________ built?
  20. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  21. This piece is in a major ________________.
  22. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  23. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  24. Hard work is the ________________ to success.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. stem — a stem cell
  3. stem — to come from
  4. stem — of a plant
  5. pit — a fruit stone
  6. spring — a coil
  7. temple — side of the head
  8. key — for a lock
  9. pit — a hole
  10. bank — of a river
  11. cell — in a prison
  12. cell — a phone
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. bank — for money
  15. spring — the season
  16. wake — a trail
  17. wake — before a funeral
  18. spring — of water
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. cell — in biology
  21. key — in music
  22. pit — in a race
  23. wake — to stop sleeping
  24. key — the most important part

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