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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: stem · temple · bound · club · court · track · wax · fall

  1. That was ________________ to happen.
  2. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  3. When was this ________________ built?
  4. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  5. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  6. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  7. The ball is in your ________________.
  8. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  9. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  10. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  11. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  12. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  13. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  14. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  15. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  16. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  17. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  18. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  19. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  20. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  21. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  22. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  23. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  24. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — certain
  2. fall — to drop
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. fall — to drop
  5. track — a path
  6. track — to keep track
  7. court — for sport
  8. stem — to come from
  9. club — a group
  10. wax — in the ear
  11. club — for golf
  12. wax — to grow
  13. stem — a stem cell
  14. court — of a king
  15. bound — tied together
  16. temple — side of the head
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. stem — of a plant
  19. wax — for sculpting
  20. bound — obliged
  21. club — for dancing
  22. court — of law
  23. fall — the season
  24. track — a song

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