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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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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: wound · root · stem · stock · kick · temple · swing · bear

  1. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  2. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  3. When was this ________________ built?
  4. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  5. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  6. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  7. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  8. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  9. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  10. The ________________ market has crashed.
  11. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  12. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  13. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  14. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  15. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  16. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  17. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  18. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  19. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  20. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  21. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  22. David sat on the ________________.
  23. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  24. What's the difference between broth and ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. stem — of a plant
  2. root — the cause
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. kick — in football
  6. stem — to come from
  7. kick — a thrill
  8. root — of a word
  9. wound — an injury
  10. stock — shares
  11. stock — goods
  12. stem — a stem cell
  13. wound — past of 'wind'
  14. bear — to put up with
  15. kick — with a leg
  16. root — of a plant
  17. bear — the animal
  18. wound — an injury
  19. swing — music
  20. bear — the animal
  21. temple — side of the head
  22. swing — to play on
  23. swing — in golf
  24. stock — a soup base

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