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

Word bank: staff · root · pound · cold · can · temple · stick · leaves

  1. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  2. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  3. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  4. When was this ________________ built?
  5. The water is too ________________.
  6. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  7. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  8. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  9. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  10. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  11. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  12. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  13. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  14. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  15. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  16. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  17. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  18. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  19. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  20. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  21. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  22. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  23. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  24. ________________ you help me carry this box?

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

Answer key

  1. cold — an illness
  2. staff — employees
  3. leaves — lets stay
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. cold — not warm
  6. stick — to attach or keep to
  7. temple — side of the head
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. pound — to hit hard
  10. leaves — of a tree
  11. root — of a plant
  12. can — a tin
  13. leaves — to go away
  14. pound — for dogs
  15. root — the cause
  16. pound — a weight
  17. root — of a word
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. staff — a stick
  21. can — a tin
  22. cold — the Cold War
  23. staff — employees
  24. can — to be able to

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