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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: squash · root · lie · safe · foot · land · arm · temple

  1. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  2. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  3. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  4. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  5. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  6. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  7. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  8. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  9. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  10. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  11. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  12. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  13. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  14. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  15. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  16. When are we going to ________________?
  17. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  18. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  19. My father caught me by the ________________.
  20. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  21. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  22. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  23. When was this ________________ built?
  24. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — a place of worship
  2. land — ground
  3. safe — a strongbox
  4. squash — the vegetable
  5. squash — to crush
  6. foot — a measure
  7. root — of a plant
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. root — of a word
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. lie — to recline
  13. squash — the sport
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. foot — part of the body
  16. land — to come down
  17. land — a country
  18. root — the cause
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. arm — a part of something
  22. foot — the bottom
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. temple — side of the head

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