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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: temple · stem · hand · bark · coach · plane · bear · ruler

  1. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  2. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  3. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  4. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  5. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  6. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  7. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  8. Have you met the new head ________________?
  9. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  10. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  11. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  12. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  13. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  14. When was this ________________ built?
  15. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  16. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  17. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  18. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  19. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  20. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  21. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  22. The ________________ took off on time.
  23. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  24. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — pulled by horses
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. hand — in cards
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. stem — to come from
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. bear — the animal
  10. bear — the animal
  11. hand — help
  12. bark — a dog's sound
  13. stem — a stem cell
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. temple — side of the head
  16. bark — to shout
  17. bear — to put up with
  18. plane — in geometry
  19. ruler — a monarch
  20. stem — of a plant
  21. plane — a tool
  22. plane — an aircraft
  23. bark — of a tree
  24. hand — part of the body

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