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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. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  2. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  3. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  4. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  5. Have you settled on a ________________?
  6. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  7. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  8. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  9. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  10. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  11. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  12. When was this ________________ built?
  13. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  14. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  15. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  16. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  17. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  18. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  19. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  20. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  21. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  22. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  23. I can't ________________ this cold.
  24. Did you ________________ the meat?

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

Answer key

  1. season — in sport
  2. root — of a plant
  3. root — of a word
  4. root — the cause
  5. date — on the calendar
  6. temple — side of the head
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. net — after costs
  9. net — for catching
  10. season — of the year
  11. date — the fruit
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. hide — animal skin
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. row — to paddle
  16. date — on the calendar
  17. row — a line
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. net — in sport
  20. row — a quarrel
  21. stand — on your feet
  22. stand — for spectators
  23. stand — to bear
  24. season — to add flavour

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