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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: chip · cap · rest · temple · stem · fine · swing · bark

  1. David sat on the ________________.
  2. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  3. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  4. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  5. When was this ________________ built?
  6. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  7. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  8. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  9. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  10. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  11. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  12. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  13. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  14. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  15. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  16. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  17. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  18. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  19. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  20. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  21. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  22. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  23. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  24. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — to play on
  2. temple — side of the head
  3. swing — in golf
  4. bark — a dog's sound
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. cap — a lid
  7. rest — a break
  8. chip — in a computer
  9. fine — high quality
  10. cap — a hat
  11. cap — of ice
  12. fine — all right
  13. bark — of a tree
  14. fine — a penalty
  15. bark — to shout
  16. stem — to come from
  17. swing — music
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. rest — what's left
  20. stem — of a plant
  21. chip — to eat
  22. rest — what's left
  23. chip — for betting
  24. stem — a stem cell

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