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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. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  2. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  3. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  4. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  5. The ball is in your ________________.
  6. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  7. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  8. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  9. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  10. I'll be taking the ________________.
  11. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  12. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  13. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  14. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  15. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  16. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  17. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  18. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  19. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  20. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  21. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  22. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  23. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  24. When was this ________________ built?

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a plant
  2. spring — the season
  3. straw — a straw man
  4. face — to confront
  5. court — for sport
  6. straw — dry grass
  7. straw — to clutch at straws
  8. spring — of water
  9. root — of a word
  10. tube — the underground
  11. tube — a container
  12. face — part of the head
  13. spring — a coil
  14. face — to point toward
  15. staff — employees
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. tube — in a tire
  18. court — of law
  19. root — the cause
  20. temple — side of the head
  21. staff — a stick
  22. staff — employees
  23. court — of a king
  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