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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.

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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: present · plane · stem · cap · bowl · trunk · temple · root

  1. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  2. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  3. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  4. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  5. When was this ________________ built?
  6. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  7. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  8. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  9. The ________________ took off on time.
  10. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  11. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  12. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  13. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  14. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  15. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  16. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  17. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  18. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  19. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  20. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  21. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  22. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  23. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  24. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a plant
  2. present — there
  3. bowl — a football final
  4. trunk — of a car
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. temple — side of the head
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. plane — in geometry
  9. plane — an aircraft
  10. present — the time now
  11. trunk — of a tree
  12. bowl — a dish
  13. root — the cause
  14. stem — of a plant
  15. root — of a word
  16. trunk — of an elephant
  17. cap — a hat
  18. stem — to come from
  19. present — a gift
  20. cap — a lid
  21. plane — a tool
  22. cap — of ice
  23. bowl — to roll
  24. stem — a stem cell

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