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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.

Make a worksheet

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

Word bank: temple · spell · stand · arm · mine · key · root · net

  1. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  2. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  3. My father caught me by the ________________.
  4. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  5. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  6. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  7. I can't ________________ this cold.
  8. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  9. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  10. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  11. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  12. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  13. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  14. How do you ________________ your surname?
  15. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  16. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  17. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  18. When was this ________________ built?
  19. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  20. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  21. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  22. This piece is in a major ________________.
  23. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  24. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — a place of worship
  2. spell — a short time
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. key — the most important part
  5. root — of a word
  6. mine — an explosive
  7. stand — to bear
  8. mine — for digging
  9. stand — on your feet
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. net — in sport
  12. stand — for spectators
  13. mine — belonging to me
  14. spell — letters
  15. root — the cause
  16. net — after costs
  17. net — for catching
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. key — for a lock
  20. root — of a plant
  21. temple — side of the head
  22. key — in music
  23. arm — a part of something
  24. spell — magic

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