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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: root · stem · bear · bore · temple · spring · stick · bowl

  1. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  2. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  3. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  4. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  5. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  6. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  7. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  8. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  9. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  10. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  11. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  12. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  13. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  14. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  15. When was this ________________ built?
  16. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  17. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  18. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  19. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  20. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  21. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  22. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  23. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  24. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — side of the head
  2. bore — gave birth
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. stem — to come from
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. spring — of water
  7. bowl — a dish
  8. bore — to tire
  9. root — the cause
  10. bear — the animal
  11. stem — of a plant
  12. stick — to attach or keep to
  13. root — of a plant
  14. bore — to drill
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. spring — a coil
  17. spring — the season
  18. root — of a word
  19. bear — the animal
  20. bowl — a football final
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. stem — a stem cell
  23. bear — to put up with
  24. bowl — to roll

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