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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: leaves · lash · temple · tube · hand · root · stem · season

  1. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  2. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  3. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  4. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  5. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  6. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  7. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  8. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  9. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  10. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  11. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  12. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  13. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  14. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  15. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  16. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  17. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  18. When was this ________________ built?
  19. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  20. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  21. I'll be taking the ________________.
  22. Did you ________________ the meat?
  23. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  24. I got dealt a bad ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — to come from
  2. root — the cause
  3. leaves — to go away
  4. lash — to lash out
  5. leaves — of a tree
  6. tube — in a tire
  7. leaves — lets stay
  8. season — of the year
  9. stem — a stem cell
  10. hand — part of the body
  11. root — of a plant
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. lash — an eyelash
  14. season — in sport
  15. tube — a container
  16. root — of a word
  17. stem — of a plant
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. lash — a whip stroke
  20. temple — side of the head
  21. tube — the underground
  22. season — to add flavour
  23. hand — help
  24. hand — in cards

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