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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 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  2. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  3. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  4. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  5. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  6. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  7. Did you ________________ the meat?
  8. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  9. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  10. That must've been a ________________.
  11. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  12. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  13. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  14. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  15. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  16. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  17. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  18. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  19. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  20. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  21. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  22. When was this ________________ built?
  23. False peace will not ________________.
  24. Spring is a pleasant ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a word
  2. staff — employees
  3. root — the cause
  4. rush — to hurry
  5. root — of a plant
  6. rush — hurry
  7. season — to add flavour
  8. last — final
  9. staff — a stick
  10. rush — a thrill
  11. bowl — a dish
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. rock — music
  14. staff — employees
  15. season — in sport
  16. rock — a stone
  17. temple — side of the head
  18. bowl — to roll
  19. last — finally
  20. rock — to move gently
  21. bowl — a football final
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. last — to go on
  24. season — of the year

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