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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 120 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. The ________________ took off on time.
  2. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  3. When was this ________________ built?
  4. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  5. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  6. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  7. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  8. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  9. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  10. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  11. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  12. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  13. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  14. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  15. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  16. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  17. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  18. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  19. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  20. Have you met the new head ________________?
  21. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  22. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  23. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  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. plane — an aircraft
  2. root — of a plant
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. bore — to tire
  5. temple — side of the head
  6. bowl — a dish
  7. plane — a tool
  8. bowl — to roll
  9. bore — gave birth
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. root — of a word
  12. bore — to drill
  13. root — the cause
  14. bowl — a football final
  15. mine — belonging to me
  16. coach — pulled by horses
  17. plane — in geometry
  18. rest — what's left
  19. mine — an explosive
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. mine — for digging
  22. rest — what's left
  23. rest — a break
  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