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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: fine · rock · ground · date · stem · temple · lean · snap

  1. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  2. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  3. Have you settled on a ________________?
  4. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  5. When was this ________________ built?
  6. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  7. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  8. There's no middle ________________.
  9. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  10. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  11. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  12. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  13. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  14. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  15. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  16. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  17. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  18. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  19. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  20. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  21. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  22. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  23. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  24. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to bend
  2. stem — a stem cell
  3. date — on the calendar
  4. lean — thin
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. date — on the calendar
  7. rock — a stone
  8. ground — a position
  9. stem — of a plant
  10. ground — crushed
  11. date — the fruit
  12. fine — all right
  13. snap — to speak sharply
  14. snap — to click
  15. ground — the earth
  16. stem — to come from
  17. lean — to rest against
  18. temple — side of the head
  19. rock — to move gently
  20. fine — a penalty
  21. rock — music
  22. fine — high quality
  23. snap — to snap out of it
  24. temple — a place of worship

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