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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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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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. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  2. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  3. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  4. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  5. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  6. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  7. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  8. When was this ________________ built?
  9. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  10. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  11. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  12. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  13. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  14. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  15. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  16. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  17. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  18. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  19. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  20. Have you settled on a ________________?
  21. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  22. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  23. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  24. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — side of the head
  2. rule — to rule out
  3. rule — a law
  4. root — of a plant
  5. rule — government
  6. date — on the calendar
  7. date — the fruit
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. bark — a dog's sound
  10. degree — temperature
  11. stem — to come from
  12. root — of a word
  13. degree — an amount
  14. stem — of a plant
  15. vault — an arched ceiling
  16. degree — from a university
  17. vault — a safe
  18. stem — a stem cell
  19. bark — to shout
  20. date — on the calendar
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. vault — in gymnastics
  23. bark — of a tree
  24. root — the cause

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