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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: stem · temple · plane · arm · ball · spell · content · bound

  1. The King held a masked ________________.
  2. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  3. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  4. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  5. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  6. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  7. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  8. That was ________________ to happen.
  9. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  10. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  11. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  12. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  13. My father caught me by the ________________.
  14. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  15. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  16. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  17. When was this ________________ built?
  18. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  19. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  20. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  21. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  22. The ________________ took off on time.
  23. How do you ________________ your surname?
  24. We are ________________ to obey laws.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a dance
  2. stem — of a plant
  3. stem — a stem cell
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. arm — a part of something
  6. plane — in geometry
  7. plane — a tool
  8. bound — certain
  9. spell — a short time
  10. spell — magic
  11. ball — a great time
  12. bound — tied together
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. stem — to come from
  15. ball — a round shape
  16. content — videos and posts
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. content — happy
  19. content — the amount
  20. temple — side of the head
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. plane — an aircraft
  23. spell — letters
  24. bound — obliged

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