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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 · stem · temple · shower · mine · swing · squash · wake

  1. When was this ________________ built?
  2. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  3. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  4. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  5. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  6. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  7. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  8. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  9. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  10. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  11. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  12. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  13. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  14. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  15. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  16. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  17. David sat on the ________________.
  18. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  19. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  20. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  21. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  22. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  23. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  24. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — a place of worship
  2. mine — belonging to me
  3. stem — of a plant
  4. shower — rain
  5. leaves — of a tree
  6. swing — music
  7. leaves — to go away
  8. stem — to come from
  9. swing — in golf
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. wake — a trail
  12. squash — the vegetable
  13. squash — the sport
  14. squash — to crush
  15. temple — side of the head
  16. shower — to wash
  17. swing — to play on
  18. wake — before a funeral
  19. mine — an explosive
  20. stem — a stem cell
  21. wake — to stop sleeping
  22. leaves — lets stay
  23. mine — for digging
  24. shower — a meteor shower

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