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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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468
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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. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  3. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  4. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  5. He was locked up in a ________________.
  6. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  7. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  8. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  9. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  10. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  11. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  12. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  13. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  14. When was this ________________ built?
  15. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  16. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  17. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  18. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  19. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  20. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  21. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  22. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  23. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  24. Have you settled on a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. temple — side of the head
  2. cell — in biology
  3. stem — to come from
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. cell — in a prison
  6. stem — a stem cell
  7. file — a tool
  8. ruler — a monarch
  9. file — a document
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. date — on the calendar
  12. cell — a phone
  13. root — of a plant
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. pass — a permit
  16. pass — to succeed
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. file — a line of people
  19. root — of a word
  20. date — the fruit
  21. pass — to spend time
  22. stem — of a plant
  23. root — the cause
  24. date — on the calendar

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