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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: bark · mate · stand · rash · ground · stem · squash · temple

  1. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  2. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  3. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  4. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  5. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  6. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  7. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  8. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  9. When was this ________________ built?
  10. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  11. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  12. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  13. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  14. Have you found your soul ________________?
  15. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  16. Don't do anything ________________.
  17. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  18. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  19. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  20. There's no middle ________________.
  21. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  22. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  23. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  24. I can't ________________ this cold.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the vegetable
  2. stem — to come from
  3. ground — the earth
  4. bark — to shout
  5. bark — of a tree
  6. mate — to breed
  7. squash — to crush
  8. bark — a dog's sound
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. squash — the sport
  11. stem — of a plant
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. mate — a friend
  14. mate — a partner
  15. ground — crushed
  16. rash — hasty
  17. temple — side of the head
  18. rash — on the skin
  19. stand — on your feet
  20. ground — a position
  21. rash — a series
  22. stand — for spectators
  23. stem — a stem cell
  24. stand — to bear

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