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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.

Make a worksheet

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: shower · lash · stem · scale · temple · root · spell · bark

  1. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  2. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  3. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  4. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  5. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  6. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  7. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  8. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  9. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  10. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  11. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  12. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  13. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  14. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  15. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  16. When was this ________________ built?
  17. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  18. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  19. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  20. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  21. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  22. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  23. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  24. How do you ________________ your surname?

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

Answer key

  1. scale — in music
  2. root — of a plant
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. spell — a short time
  5. shower — rain
  6. bark — a dog's sound
  7. bark — to shout
  8. spell — magic
  9. root — of a word
  10. shower — to wash
  11. scale — for weighing
  12. stem — to come from
  13. stem — a stem cell
  14. root — the cause
  15. scale — size or range
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. shower — a meteor shower
  18. temple — side of the head
  19. lash — a whip stroke
  20. lash — to lash out
  21. bark — of a tree
  22. lash — an eyelash
  23. stem — of a plant
  24. spell — letters

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