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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.

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: tube · stem · clip · roll · prune · temple · lean · degree

  1. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  2. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  3. We're on a ________________ here.
  4. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  5. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  6. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  7. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  8. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  9. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  10. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  11. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  12. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  13. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  14. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  15. When was this ________________ built?
  16. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  17. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  18. I'll be taking the ________________.
  19. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  20. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  21. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  22. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  23. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  24. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — thin
  2. roll — a list
  3. roll — on a roll
  4. stem — a stem cell
  5. stem — of a plant
  6. lean — to bend
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. degree — temperature
  9. tube — a container
  10. clip — for paper
  11. tube — in a tire
  12. prune — the fruit
  13. prune — to trim
  14. clip — to cut
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. degree — an amount
  17. prune — to trim
  18. tube — the underground
  19. temple — side of the head
  20. clip — a video
  21. stem — to come from
  22. roll — a cake
  23. lean — to rest against
  24. degree — from a university

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