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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. There's no middle ________________.
  2. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  3. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  4. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  5. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  6. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  7. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  8. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  9. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  10. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  11. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  12. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  13. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  14. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  15. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  16. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  17. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  18. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  19. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  20. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  21. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  22. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  23. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  24. When was this ________________ built?

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

Answer key

  1. ground — a position
  2. mouse — for a computer
  3. pass — to spend time
  4. pass — to succeed
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. stem — to come from
  7. wave — a sudden rise
  8. wave — with your hand
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. root — of a word
  11. ground — the earth
  12. root — the cause
  13. net — in sport
  14. ground — crushed
  15. wave — of the sea
  16. stem — a stem cell
  17. net — for catching
  18. pass — a permit
  19. temple — side of the head
  20. net — after costs
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. stem — of a plant
  23. root — of a plant
  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