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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.

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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: bear · leaves · game · bat · can · squash · temple · stem

  1. When was this ________________ built?
  2. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  3. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  4. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  5. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  6. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  7. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  8. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  9. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  10. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  11. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  12. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  13. That was a fun ________________.
  14. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  15. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  16. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  17. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  18. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  19. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  20. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  21. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  22. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  23. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  24. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — a place of worship
  2. stem — a stem cell
  3. bear — to put up with
  4. can — a tin
  5. game — wild animals
  6. bat — for baseball
  7. game — a kind of play
  8. squash — the vegetable
  9. bear — the animal
  10. can — to be able to
  11. can — a tin
  12. bat — the animal
  13. game — a match
  14. stem — of a plant
  15. stem — to come from
  16. squash — to crush
  17. squash — the sport
  18. leaves — of a tree
  19. bat — in an idiom
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. leaves — to go away
  22. bear — the animal
  23. leaves — lets stay
  24. temple — side of the head

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