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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.

Make a worksheet

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: root · hand · tube · mine · date · temple · hide · foot

  1. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  2. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  3. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  4. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  5. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  6. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  7. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  8. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  9. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  10. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  11. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  12. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  13. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  14. Have you settled on a ________________?
  15. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  16. When was this ________________ built?
  17. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  18. I'll be taking the ________________.
  19. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  20. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  21. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  22. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  23. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  24. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.

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

Answer key

  1. root — the cause
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. root — of a plant
  5. date — the fruit
  6. hide — animal skin
  7. hand — in cards
  8. date — on the calendar
  9. foot — part of the body
  10. root — of a word
  11. foot — a measure
  12. hand — help
  13. mine — for digging
  14. date — on the calendar
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. tube — in a tire
  18. tube — the underground
  19. temple — side of the head
  20. mine — belonging to me
  21. hand — part of the body
  22. mine — an explosive
  23. tube — a container
  24. foot — the bottom

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