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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
468
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. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  2. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  3. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  4. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  5. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  6. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  7. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  8. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  9. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  10. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  11. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  12. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  13. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  14. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  15. When was this ________________ built?
  16. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  17. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  18. When are we going to ________________?
  19. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  20. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  21. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  22. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  23. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  24. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — side of the head
  2. prune — to trim
  3. root — of a word
  4. race — humankind
  5. toast — the most admired
  6. chair — to sit on
  7. race — a contest
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. race — the arms race
  10. root — the cause
  11. toast — bread
  12. root — of a plant
  13. chair — a leader
  14. prune — the fruit
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. chair — a professorship
  17. land — ground
  18. land — to come down
  19. land — a country
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. racket — a loud noise
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. toast — a drink to someone
  24. prune — to trim

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