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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: firm · row · fall · bore · spell · temple · stem · pitch

  1. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  2. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  3. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  4. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  5. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  6. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  7. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  8. How do you ________________ your surname?
  9. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  10. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  11. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  12. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  13. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  14. When was this ________________ built?
  15. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  16. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  17. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  18. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  19. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  20. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  21. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  22. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  23. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  24. I had a ________________ with my boss today.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — gave birth
  2. bore — to tire
  3. firm — decided
  4. stem — a stem cell
  5. row — to paddle
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. fall — the season
  8. spell — letters
  9. row — a line
  10. stem — of a plant
  11. pitch — completely
  12. fall — to drop
  13. spell — a short time
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. firm — a company
  16. fall — to drop
  17. spell — magic
  18. bore — to drill
  19. firm — steady
  20. temple — side of the head
  21. pitch — a sports field
  22. pitch — a sales talk
  23. stem — to come from
  24. row — a quarrel

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