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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: track · bank · stem · temple · root · ball · leaves · mark

  1. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  2. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  3. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  4. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  5. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  6. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  7. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  8. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  9. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  10. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  11. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  12. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  13. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  14. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  15. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  16. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  17. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  18. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  19. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  20. When was this ________________ built?
  21. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  22. The King held a masked ________________.
  23. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  24. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — of a plant
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. mark — a trace
  4. ball — a great time
  5. stem — a stem cell
  6. ball — a round shape
  7. mark — a grade
  8. temple — side of the head
  9. track — to keep track
  10. stem — to come from
  11. leaves — to go away
  12. bank — for money
  13. root — of a word
  14. leaves — of a tree
  15. root — of a plant
  16. mark — to pay attention
  17. bank — of a river
  18. leaves — lets stay
  19. bank — for money
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. track — a path
  22. ball — a dance
  23. track — a song
  24. root — the cause

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