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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: lash · land · leaves · prune · stem · temple · bank · pop

  1. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  2. We're almost out of ________________.
  3. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  4. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  5. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  6. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  7. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  8. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  9. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  10. When are we going to ________________?
  11. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  12. When was this ________________ built?
  13. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  14. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  15. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  16. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  17. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  18. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  19. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  20. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  21. You don't need to ________________ round.
  22. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  23. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  24. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — music
  2. pop — soda
  3. lash — to lash out
  4. prune — the fruit
  5. prune — to trim
  6. prune — to trim
  7. stem — to come from
  8. bank — for money
  9. land — ground
  10. land — to come down
  11. leaves — lets stay
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. stem — of a plant
  14. bank — of a river
  15. leaves — to go away
  16. lash — an eyelash
  17. stem — a stem cell
  18. temple — side of the head
  19. leaves — of a tree
  20. bank — for money
  21. pop — to visit
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. lash — a whip stroke
  24. land — a country

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