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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: stem · bay · wind · temple · cell · track · can · pit

  1. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  2. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  3. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  4. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  5. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  6. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  7. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  8. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  9. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  10. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  11. My mare is ________________ in color.
  12. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  13. He was locked up in a ________________.
  14. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  15. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  16. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  17. When was this ________________ built?
  18. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  19. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  20. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  21. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  22. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  23. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  24. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a hole
  2. stem — of a plant
  3. temple — side of the head
  4. bay — a part of the sea
  5. track — a path
  6. pit — a fruit stone
  7. track — to keep track
  8. track — a song
  9. stem — a stem cell
  10. cell — in biology
  11. bay — a horse colour
  12. wind — moving air
  13. cell — in a prison
  14. can — a tin
  15. pit — in a race
  16. bay — to keep at bay
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. can — to be able to
  19. can — a tin
  20. stem — to come from
  21. wind — to turn a key
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. wind — moving air
  24. cell — a phone

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