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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. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  2. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  3. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  4. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  5. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  6. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  7. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  8. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  9. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  10. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  11. When was this ________________ built?
  12. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  13. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  14. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  15. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  16. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  17. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  18. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  19. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  20. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  21. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  22. My mare is ________________ in color.
  23. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  24. ________________ you help me carry this box?

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

Answer key

  1. temple — side of the head
  2. stem — a stem cell
  3. bowl — a dish
  4. root — of a word
  5. bowl — a football final
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. stem — to come from
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. bay — a part of the sea
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. calf — of the leg
  13. can — a tin
  14. cap — of ice
  15. bowl — to roll
  16. stem — of a plant
  17. can — a tin
  18. root — of a plant
  19. cap — a lid
  20. cap — a hat
  21. root — the cause
  22. bay — a horse colour
  23. bay — to keep at bay
  24. can — to be able to

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