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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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  2. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  3. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  4. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  5. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  6. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  7. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  8. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  9. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  10. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  11. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  12. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  13. I've got to change the light ________________.
  14. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  15. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  16. When was this ________________ built?
  17. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  18. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  19. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  20. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  21. The light ________________ burned out.
  22. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  23. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  24. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — of a plant
  2. temple — side of the head
  3. stem — a stem cell
  4. pound — for dogs
  5. chip — for betting
  6. branch — of a bank
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. pound — to hit hard
  9. stem — to come from
  10. root — of a word
  11. tear — from crying
  12. branch — a division
  13. bulb — for light
  14. root — the cause
  15. chip — to eat
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. chip — in a computer
  18. branch — of a tree
  19. tear — to rip
  20. root — of a plant
  21. bulb — for light
  22. bulb — of a plant
  23. tear — from crying
  24. pound — a weight

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