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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. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  3. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  4. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  5. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  6. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  7. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  8. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  9. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  10. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  11. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  12. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  13. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  14. It's one o'clock ________________.
  15. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  16. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  17. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  18. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  19. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  20. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  21. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  22. What do you think of the new ________________?
  23. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  24. When was this ________________ built?

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

Answer key

  1. stem — of a plant
  2. field — a subject
  3. mine — for digging
  4. root — the cause
  5. root — of a word
  6. field — farmland
  7. mine — an explosive
  8. mine — belonging to me
  9. branch — of a bank
  10. stem — a stem cell
  11. stem — to come from
  12. branch — of a tree
  13. field — for sport
  14. sharp — exactly
  15. branch — a division
  16. sharp — with an edge
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. temple — side of the head
  19. cabinet — a cupboard
  20. root — of a plant
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. sharp — clever
  24. temple — a place of worship

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