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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: dip · temple · stem · bay · prune · tube · mate · ground

  1. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  2. My mare is ________________ in color.
  3. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  4. There's no middle ________________.
  5. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  6. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  7. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  8. Have you found your soul ________________?
  9. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  10. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  11. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  12. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  13. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  14. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  15. I'll be taking the ________________.
  16. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  17. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  18. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  19. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  20. When was this ________________ built?
  21. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  22. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  23. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  24. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — to breed
  2. bay — a horse colour
  3. tube — a container
  4. ground — a position
  5. ground — crushed
  6. bay — a part of the sea
  7. dip — to sink
  8. mate — a partner
  9. bay — to keep at bay
  10. prune — to trim
  11. dip — to dunk
  12. dip — a sauce
  13. stem — of a plant
  14. stem — to come from
  15. tube — the underground
  16. tube — in a tire
  17. mate — a friend
  18. ground — the earth
  19. temple — side of the head
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. stem — a stem cell
  22. prune — the fruit
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. prune — to trim

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