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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: deal · lie · wound · rest · squash · root · tear · temple

  1. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  2. When was this ________________ built?
  3. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  4. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  5. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  6. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  7. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  8. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  9. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  10. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  11. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  12. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  13. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  14. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  15. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  16. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  17. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  18. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  19. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  20. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  21. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  22. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  23. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  24. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. deal — to handle
  4. squash — the sport
  5. tear — from crying
  6. tear — to rip
  7. rest — what's left
  8. deal — an agreement
  9. squash — to crush
  10. root — of a word
  11. wound — an injury
  12. temple — side of the head
  13. rest — a break
  14. root — the cause
  15. wound — past of 'wind'
  16. tear — from crying
  17. wound — an injury
  18. deal — a big deal
  19. squash — the vegetable
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. lie — to recline
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. root — of a plant
  24. temple — a place of worship

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