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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: prune · root · vault · scale · club · face · stem · temple

  1. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  2. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  3. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  4. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  5. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  6. When was this ________________ built?
  7. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  8. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  9. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  10. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  11. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  12. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  13. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  14. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  15. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  16. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  17. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  18. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  19. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  20. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  21. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  22. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  23. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  24. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — the fruit
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. prune — to trim
  4. temple — side of the head
  5. root — of a word
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. root — the cause
  8. stem — of a plant
  9. face — to point toward
  10. root — of a plant
  11. prune — to trim
  12. face — part of the head
  13. face — to confront
  14. vault — in gymnastics
  15. scale — in music
  16. vault — a safe
  17. stem — to come from
  18. scale — for weighing
  19. club — for golf
  20. vault — an arched ceiling
  21. club — a group
  22. club — for dancing
  23. scale — size or range
  24. stem — a stem cell

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