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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: stand · wake · temple · stem · tube · swing · cap · leaves

  1. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  2. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  3. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  4. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  5. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  6. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  7. David sat on the ________________.
  8. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  9. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  10. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  11. When was this ________________ built?
  12. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  13. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  14. I'll be taking the ________________.
  15. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  16. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  17. I can't ________________ this cold.
  18. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  19. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  20. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  21. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  22. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  23. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  24. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a hat
  2. tube — a container
  3. wake — before a funeral
  4. stem — of a plant
  5. temple — side of the head
  6. stem — to come from
  7. swing — to play on
  8. wake — a trail
  9. wake — to stop sleeping
  10. tube — in a tire
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. cap — of ice
  14. tube — the underground
  15. leaves — of a tree
  16. leaves — lets stay
  17. stand — to bear
  18. stand — on your feet
  19. swing — in golf
  20. cap — a lid
  21. leaves — to go away
  22. swing — music
  23. stand — for spectators
  24. stem — a stem cell

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