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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: temple · pit · root · bank · trunk · stem · bear · press

  1. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  2. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  3. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  4. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  5. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  6. When was this ________________ built?
  7. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  8. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  9. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  10. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  11. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  12. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  13. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  14. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  15. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  16. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  17. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  18. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  19. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  20. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  21. Did you ________________ the button?
  22. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  23. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  24. Many English words ________________ from Latin.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a hole
  2. root — of a word
  3. root — the cause
  4. trunk — of a tree
  5. trunk — of an elephant
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. bear — the animal
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. bank — for money
  10. trunk — of a car
  11. pit — a fruit stone
  12. root — of a plant
  13. bear — the animal
  14. stem — of a plant
  15. bear — to put up with
  16. press — a publisher
  17. pit — in a race
  18. press — newspapers
  19. temple — side of the head
  20. stem — a stem cell
  21. press — to push
  22. bank — for money
  23. bank — of a river
  24. stem — to come from

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