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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: ground · spell · stem · current · rush · temple · hide · tube

  1. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  2. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  3. There's no middle ________________.
  4. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  5. When was this ________________ built?
  6. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  7. How do you ________________ your surname?
  8. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  9. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  10. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  11. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  12. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  13. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  14. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  15. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  16. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  17. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  18. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  19. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  20. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  21. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  22. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  23. That must've been a ________________.
  24. I'll be taking the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — in a tire
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. ground — a position
  4. current — happening now
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. stem — a stem cell
  7. spell — letters
  8. rush — to hurry
  9. spell — a short time
  10. rush — hurry
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. stem — of a plant
  13. current — of water
  14. ground — the earth
  15. current — electric
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. ground — crushed
  18. temple — side of the head
  19. stem — to come from
  20. tube — a container
  21. hide — animal skin
  22. spell — magic
  23. rush — a thrill
  24. tube — the underground

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