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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: plane · temple · cold · object · bark · staff · stem · roll

  1. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  2. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  3. The water is too ________________.
  4. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  5. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  6. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  7. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  8. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  9. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  10. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  11. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  12. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  13. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  14. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  15. The ________________ took off on time.
  16. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  17. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  18. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  19. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  20. When was this ________________ built?
  21. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  22. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  23. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  24. We're on a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — to come from
  2. staff — employees
  3. cold — not warm
  4. stem — of a plant
  5. stem — a stem cell
  6. object — an aim
  7. staff — a stick
  8. bark — to shout
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. plane — a tool
  11. object — to protest
  12. plane — in geometry
  13. bark — a dog's sound
  14. staff — employees
  15. plane — an aircraft
  16. cold — the Cold War
  17. cold — an illness
  18. temple — side of the head
  19. roll — a list
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. bark — of a tree
  22. roll — a cake
  23. object — a thing
  24. roll — on a roll

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