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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: leaves · racket · temple · firm · row · dip · wax · stem

  1. When was this ________________ built?
  2. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  3. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  4. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  5. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  6. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  7. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  8. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  9. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  10. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  11. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  12. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  13. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  14. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  15. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  16. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  17. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  18. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  19. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  20. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  21. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  22. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  23. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  24. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — a place of worship
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. row — a quarrel
  4. stem — to come from
  5. temple — side of the head
  6. firm — a company
  7. wax — for sculpting
  8. dip — to sink
  9. wax — in the ear
  10. firm — decided
  11. wax — to grow
  12. stem — of a plant
  13. row — a line
  14. racket — a loud noise
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. firm — steady
  17. leaves — of a tree
  18. stem — a stem cell
  19. row — to paddle
  20. leaves — to go away
  21. leaves — lets stay
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. dip — a sauce
  24. dip — to dunk

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