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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 120 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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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: stem · temple · deal · present · root · suit · bark · kick

  1. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  2. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  3. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  4. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  5. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  6. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  7. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  8. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  9. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  10. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  11. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  12. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  13. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  14. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  15. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  16. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  17. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  18. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  19. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  20. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  21. When was this ________________ built?
  22. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  23. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  24. When will it ________________ you to start?

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

Answer key

  1. suit — in cards
  2. temple — side of the head
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. bark — a dog's sound
  5. bark — to shout
  6. bark — of a tree
  7. root — of a word
  8. stem — to come from
  9. kick — with a leg
  10. suit — clothes
  11. kick — a thrill
  12. present — a gift
  13. root — of a plant
  14. deal — to handle
  15. present — the time now
  16. deal — an agreement
  17. present — there
  18. kick — in football
  19. stem — a stem cell
  20. deal — a big deal
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. root — the cause
  23. stem — of a plant
  24. suit — to fit

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