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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.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  2. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  3. We're on a ________________ here.
  4. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  5. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  6. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  7. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  8. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  9. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  10. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  11. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  12. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  13. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  14. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  15. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  16. I've got to change the light ________________.
  17. When was this ________________ built?
  18. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  19. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  20. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  21. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  22. The King held a masked ________________.
  23. The light ________________ burned out.
  24. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — side of the head
  2. root — of a word
  3. roll — on a roll
  4. craft — boats
  5. drill — the tool
  6. root — of a plant
  7. root — the cause
  8. ball — a great time
  9. ball — a round shape
  10. drill — army training
  11. craft — a handicraft
  12. roll — a cake
  13. mark — to pay attention
  14. craft — a skill
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. bulb — for light
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. drill — a practice
  19. roll — a list
  20. bulb — of a plant
  21. mark — a grade
  22. ball — a dance
  23. bulb — for light
  24. mark — a trace

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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