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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: spring · bat · safe · leaves · bark · stem · coach · temple

  1. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  2. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  3. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  4. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  5. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  6. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  7. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  8. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  9. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  10. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  11. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  12. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  13. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  14. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  15. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  16. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  17. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  18. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  19. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  20. When was this ________________ built?
  21. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  22. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  23. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  24. Have you met the new head ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. bark — of a tree
  2. bat — the animal
  3. leaves — lets stay
  4. stem — of a plant
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. spring — a coil
  7. leaves — of a tree
  8. stem — to come from
  9. coach — pulled by horses
  10. safe — a strongbox
  11. leaves — to go away
  12. bark — to shout
  13. bat — for baseball
  14. temple — side of the head
  15. spring — the season
  16. stem — a stem cell
  17. bat — in an idiom
  18. spring — of water
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. bark — a dog's sound
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. coach — a trainer

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