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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 · fork · land · roll · root · temple · fan

  1. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  2. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  3. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  4. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  5. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  6. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  7. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  8. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  9. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  10. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  11. We're on a ________________ here.
  12. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  13. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  14. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  15. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  16. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  17. When are we going to ________________?
  18. I'll be taking the ________________.
  19. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  20. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  21. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  22. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  23. When was this ________________ built?
  24. Many English words ________________ from Latin.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. fork — to eat with
  3. tube — in a tire
  4. root — of a word
  5. land — a country
  6. stem — of a plant
  7. fork — a garden tool
  8. roll — a list
  9. root — of a plant
  10. tube — a container
  11. roll — on a roll
  12. temple — side of the head
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. land — ground
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. fan — to cool the air
  17. land — to come down
  18. tube — the underground
  19. fork — in a road
  20. root — the cause
  21. stem — a stem cell
  22. roll — a cake
  23. temple — a place of worship
  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