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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.

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 · fall · spring · foot · dip · pitcher · root

  1. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  2. He is an ace ________________.
  3. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  4. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  5. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  6. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  7. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  8. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  9. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  10. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  11. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  12. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  13. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  14. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  15. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  16. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  17. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  18. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  19. When was this ________________ built?
  20. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  21. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  22. How do you ________________ your surname?
  23. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  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. dip — to dunk
  2. pitcher — in baseball
  3. dip — to sink
  4. foot — the bottom
  5. spring — of water
  6. spell — magic
  7. spring — the season
  8. foot — part of the body
  9. temple — side of the head
  10. dip — a sauce
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. fall — the season
  13. spring — a coil
  14. root — of a plant
  15. root — the cause
  16. spell — a short time
  17. foot — a measure
  18. fall — to drop
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. root — of a word
  22. spell — letters
  23. fall — to drop
  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