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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 120 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. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  2. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  3. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  4. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  5. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  6. When was this ________________ built?
  7. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  8. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  9. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  10. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  11. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  12. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  13. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  14. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  15. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  16. The water is too ________________.
  17. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  18. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  19. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  20. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  21. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  22. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  23. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  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. stem — a stem cell
  2. stem — of a plant
  3. root — of a plant
  4. hide — animal skin
  5. root — the cause
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. band — a music group
  9. stem — to come from
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. band — a rubber band
  12. face — part of the head
  13. face — to point toward
  14. trunk — of an elephant
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. cold — not warm
  17. cold — an illness
  18. trunk — of a car
  19. trunk — of a tree
  20. band — a ring
  21. cold — the Cold War
  22. face — to confront
  23. root — of a word
  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