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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.

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: shower · squash · hide · branch · temple · stem · safe · field

  1. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  2. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  3. When was this ________________ built?
  4. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  5. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  6. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  7. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  8. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  9. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  10. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  11. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  12. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  13. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  14. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  15. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  16. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  17. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  18. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  19. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  20. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  21. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  22. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  23. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  24. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — side of the head
  2. shower — to wash
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. stem — to come from
  5. safe — a strongbox
  6. stem — of a plant
  7. branch — a division
  8. stem — a stem cell
  9. shower — rain
  10. field — farmland
  11. hide — animal skin
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. branch — of a tree
  14. squash — to crush
  15. squash — the sport
  16. field — for sport
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. field — a subject
  20. squash — the vegetable
  21. shower — a meteor shower
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. branch — of a bank

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