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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: temple · calf · fan · bass · stem · ground · dip · fall

  1. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  2. When was this ________________ built?
  3. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  4. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  5. There's no middle ________________.
  6. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  7. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  8. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  9. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  10. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  11. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  12. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  13. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  14. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  15. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  16. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  17. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  18. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  19. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  20. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  21. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  22. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  23. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  24. Many English words ________________ from Latin.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. stem — of a plant
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. ground — a position
  6. calf — of the leg
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. fan — to cool the air
  9. fall — the season
  10. bass — the instrument
  11. dip — to dunk
  12. fall — to drop
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. temple — side of the head
  15. stem — a stem cell
  16. bass — the fish
  17. bass — low music
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. dip — a sauce
  20. dip — to sink
  21. ground — the earth
  22. ground — crushed
  23. fall — to drop
  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