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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: bank · temple · hand · stem · prune · can · degree · foot

  1. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  2. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  3. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  4. When was this ________________ built?
  5. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  6. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  7. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  8. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  9. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  10. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  11. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  12. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  13. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  14. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  15. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  16. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  17. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  18. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  19. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  20. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  21. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  22. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  23. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  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. stem — of a plant
  2. bank — for money
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. prune — the fruit
  6. stem — to come from
  7. foot — the bottom
  8. hand — in cards
  9. hand — part of the body
  10. bank — for money
  11. can — a tin
  12. foot — a measure
  13. temple — side of the head
  14. prune — to trim
  15. prune — to trim
  16. degree — from a university
  17. degree — an amount
  18. degree — temperature
  19. foot — part of the body
  20. stem — a stem cell
  21. can — a tin
  22. hand — help
  23. bank — of a river
  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