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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
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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: prune · rush · temple · content · stem · clip · root · date

  1. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  2. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  3. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  4. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  5. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  6. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  7. When was this ________________ built?
  8. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  9. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  10. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  11. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  12. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  13. That must've been a ________________.
  14. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  15. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  16. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  17. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  18. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  19. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  20. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  21. Have you settled on a ________________?
  22. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  23. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  24. A ________________ is just a dried plum.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — to come from
  2. root — the cause
  3. clip — to cut
  4. root — of a word
  5. rush — hurry
  6. content — videos and posts
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. temple — side of the head
  9. rush — to hurry
  10. clip — a video
  11. date — the fruit
  12. root — of a plant
  13. rush — a thrill
  14. clip — for paper
  15. stem — of a plant
  16. prune — to trim
  17. content — happy
  18. stem — a stem cell
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. prune — to trim
  21. date — on the calendar
  22. date — on the calendar
  23. content — the amount
  24. prune — the fruit

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