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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: leaves · staff · bark · stem · bowl · temple · stand · rush

  1. When was this ________________ built?
  2. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  3. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  4. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  5. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  6. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  7. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  8. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  9. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  10. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  11. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  12. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  13. That must've been a ________________.
  14. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  15. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  16. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  17. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  18. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  19. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  20. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  21. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  22. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  23. I can't ________________ this cold.
  24. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — a place of worship
  2. bowl — a football final
  3. bowl — a dish
  4. leaves — of a tree
  5. bowl — to roll
  6. bark — of a tree
  7. bark — to shout
  8. staff — employees
  9. stem — a stem cell
  10. leaves — lets stay
  11. bark — a dog's sound
  12. stand — on your feet
  13. rush — a thrill
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. leaves — to go away
  16. rush — hurry
  17. stem — to come from
  18. rush — to hurry
  19. staff — employees
  20. stand — for spectators
  21. temple — side of the head
  22. staff — a stick
  23. stand — to bear
  24. stem — of a plant

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