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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
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Word bank
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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 party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  2. When are we going to ________________?
  3. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  4. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  5. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  6. Don't do anything ________________.
  7. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  8. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  9. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  10. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  11. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  12. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  13. When was this ________________ built?
  14. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  15. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  16. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  17. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  18. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  19. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  20. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  21. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  22. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  23. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  24. Should I buy a wireless ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. rash — a series
  2. land — to come down
  3. root — of a plant
  4. toast — bread
  5. temple — side of the head
  6. rash — hasty
  7. bass — low music
  8. bass — the fish
  9. toast — the most admired
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. root — of a word
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. rash — on the skin
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. bass — the instrument
  17. spring — a coil
  18. spring — of water
  19. toast — a drink to someone
  20. root — the cause
  21. land — a country
  22. spring — the season
  23. land — ground
  24. mouse — for a computer

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