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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.

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: calf · ground · branch · temple · stem · root · bear · hand

  1. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  2. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  3. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  4. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  5. When was this ________________ built?
  6. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  7. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  8. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  9. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  10. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  11. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  12. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  13. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  14. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  15. There's no middle ________________.
  16. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  17. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  18. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  19. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  20. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  21. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  22. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  23. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  24. Do you need a ________________ with that?

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

Answer key

  1. bear — to put up with
  2. stem — of a plant
  3. branch — of a tree
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. stem — to come from
  7. branch — a division
  8. bear — the animal
  9. calf — of the leg
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. root — the cause
  12. bear — the animal
  13. hand — part of the body
  14. stem — a stem cell
  15. ground — a position
  16. temple — side of the head
  17. ground — the earth
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. hand — in cards
  20. branch — of a bank
  21. root — of a plant
  22. ground — crushed
  23. root — of a word
  24. hand — help

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