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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: object · tear · temple · drill · bank · lean · stem · prune

  1. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  2. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  3. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  4. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  5. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  6. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  7. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  8. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  9. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  10. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  11. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  12. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  13. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  14. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  15. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  16. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  17. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  18. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  19. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  20. When was this ________________ built?
  21. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  22. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  23. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  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. tear — from crying
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. tear — from crying
  4. stem — to come from
  5. lean — thin
  6. object — a thing
  7. tear — to rip
  8. bank — of a river
  9. drill — a practice
  10. object — to protest
  11. drill — army training
  12. prune — to trim
  13. temple — side of the head
  14. stem — of a plant
  15. lean — to rest against
  16. drill — the tool
  17. lean — to bend
  18. bank — for money
  19. stem — a stem cell
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. prune — to trim
  22. object — an aim
  23. bank — for money
  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