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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. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  2. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  3. This piece is in a major ________________.
  4. When was this ________________ built?
  5. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  6. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  7. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  8. There's no middle ________________.
  9. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  10. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  11. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  12. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  13. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  14. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  15. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  16. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  17. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  18. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  19. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  20. The water is too ________________.
  21. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  22. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  23. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  24. The tickets are free of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cold — the Cold War
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. key — in music
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. bank — of a river
  6. wax — to grow
  7. key — for a lock
  8. ground — a position
  9. root — the cause
  10. ground — crushed
  11. ground — the earth
  12. bank — for money
  13. root — of a plant
  14. cold — an illness
  15. charge — in control
  16. root — of a word
  17. bank — for money
  18. key — the most important part
  19. temple — side of the head
  20. cold — not warm
  21. charge — electricity
  22. wax — for sculpting
  23. wax — in the ear
  24. charge — a price

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