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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: fork · temple · land · bulb · spring · root · mate · current

  1. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  2. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  3. I've got to change the light ________________.
  4. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  5. The light ________________ burned out.
  6. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  7. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  8. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  9. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  10. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  11. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  12. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  13. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  14. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  15. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  16. When was this ________________ built?
  17. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  18. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  19. Have you found your soul ________________?
  20. When are we going to ________________?
  21. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  22. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  23. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  24. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. land — ground
  2. temple — side of the head
  3. bulb — for light
  4. mate — a friend
  5. bulb — for light
  6. current — electric
  7. root — of a word
  8. mate — to breed
  9. fork — in a road
  10. root — the cause
  11. fork — a garden tool
  12. fork — to eat with
  13. current — happening now
  14. current — of water
  15. spring — the season
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. root — of a plant
  19. mate — a partner
  20. land — to come down
  21. bulb — of a plant
  22. land — a country
  23. spring — a coil
  24. spring — of water

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