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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: bore · temple · object · perch · roll · bank · stem · mark

  1. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  2. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  3. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  4. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  5. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  6. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  7. We're on a ________________ here.
  8. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  9. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  10. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  11. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  12. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  13. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  14. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  15. When was this ________________ built?
  16. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  17. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  18. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  19. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  20. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  21. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  22. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  23. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  24. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — of a river
  2. stem — to come from
  3. roll — a list
  4. roll — a cake
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. bore — to tire
  7. roll — on a roll
  8. object — an aim
  9. bore — gave birth
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. perch — the fish
  12. object — to protest
  13. bank — for money
  14. object — a thing
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. temple — side of the head
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. mark — a grade
  19. bore — to drill
  20. stem — a stem cell
  21. bank — for money
  22. mark — a trace
  23. mark — to pay attention
  24. stem — of a plant

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