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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: rest · file · root · mate · temple · trunk · dip · ground

  1. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  2. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  3. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  4. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  5. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  6. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  7. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  8. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  9. When was this ________________ built?
  10. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  11. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  12. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  13. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  14. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  15. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  16. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  17. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  18. Have you found your soul ________________?
  19. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  20. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  21. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  22. There's no middle ________________.
  23. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  24. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to dunk
  2. root — of a plant
  3. rest — what's left
  4. dip — to sink
  5. file — a document
  6. temple — side of the head
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. file — a line of people
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. ground — crushed
  11. mate — to breed
  12. trunk — of a tree
  13. file — a tool
  14. root — of a word
  15. rest — what's left
  16. trunk — of a car
  17. trunk — of an elephant
  18. mate — a partner
  19. ground — the earth
  20. root — the cause
  21. dip — a sauce
  22. ground — a position
  23. rest — a break
  24. mate — a friend

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