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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: land · rush · safe · current · foot · season · root · temple

  1. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  2. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  3. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  4. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  5. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  6. That must've been a ________________.
  7. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  8. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  9. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  10. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  11. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  12. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  13. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  14. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  15. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  16. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  17. When are we going to ________________?
  18. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  19. When was this ________________ built?
  20. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  21. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  22. Did you ________________ the meat?
  23. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  24. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — the bottom
  2. root — of a word
  3. current — of water
  4. safe — a strongbox
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. rush — a thrill
  7. land — a country
  8. foot — part of the body
  9. temple — side of the head
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. root — the cause
  12. current — happening now
  13. foot — a measure
  14. land — ground
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. root — of a plant
  17. land — to come down
  18. rush — to hurry
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. current — electric
  21. rush — hurry
  22. season — to add flavour
  23. season — of the year
  24. season — in sport

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