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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: bark · coach · temple · patient · charge · prune · stem · wake

  1. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  2. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  3. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  4. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  5. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  6. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  7. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  8. Have you met the new head ________________?
  9. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  10. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  11. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  12. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  13. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  14. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  15. The tickets are free of ________________.
  16. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  17. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  18. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  19. When was this ________________ built?
  20. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  21. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  22. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  23. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  24. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. bark — of a tree
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. stem — of a plant
  5. temple — side of the head
  6. charge — in control
  7. bark — a dog's sound
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. wake — to stop sleeping
  10. wake — a trail
  11. wake — before a funeral
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. coach — pulled by horses
  14. charge — electricity
  15. charge — a price
  16. bark — to shout
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. patient — calm and waiting
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. prune — the fruit
  21. stem — to come from
  22. prune — to trim
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. stem — a stem cell

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