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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: wind · face · nail · root · temple · spring · chip · season

  1. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  2. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  3. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  4. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  5. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  6. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  7. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  8. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  9. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  10. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  11. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  12. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  13. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  14. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  15. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  16. Did you ________________ the meat?
  17. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  18. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  19. The ________________ went through the wall.
  20. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  21. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  22. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  23. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  24. When was this ________________ built?

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

Answer key

  1. chip — in a computer
  2. root — of a word
  3. chip — for betting
  4. spring — of water
  5. chip — to eat
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. season — in sport
  8. wind — moving air
  9. spring — a coil
  10. face — part of the head
  11. face — to confront
  12. season — of the year
  13. spring — the season
  14. wind — to turn a key
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. season — to add flavour
  17. temple — side of the head
  18. root — of a plant
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. root — the cause
  21. face — to point toward
  22. nail — on a finger
  23. wind — moving air
  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