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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: last · temple · stem · fan · file · present · cap · pound

  1. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  2. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  3. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  4. False peace will not ________________.
  5. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  6. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  7. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  8. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  9. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  10. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  11. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  12. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  13. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  14. When was this ________________ built?
  15. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  16. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  17. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  18. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  19. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  20. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  21. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  22. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  23. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  24. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a line of people
  2. file — a document
  3. pound — to hit hard
  4. last — to go on
  5. pound — for dogs
  6. cap — a lid
  7. fan — to cool the air
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. present — the time now
  10. file — a tool
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. stem — of a plant
  13. present — a gift
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. last — final
  16. last — finally
  17. cap — a hat
  18. stem — a stem cell
  19. pound — a weight
  20. stem — to come from
  21. present — there
  22. cap — of ice
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. temple — side of the head

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