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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: spring · kick · temple · nail · date · face · wake · root

  1. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  2. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  3. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  4. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  5. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  6. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  7. When was this ________________ built?
  8. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  9. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  10. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  11. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  12. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  13. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  14. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  15. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  16. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  17. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  18. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  19. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  20. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  21. Have you settled on a ________________?
  22. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  23. The ________________ went through the wall.
  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. date — the fruit
  2. root — of a word
  3. spring — the season
  4. wake — a trail
  5. face — to confront
  6. temple — side of the head
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. kick — with a leg
  9. kick — in football
  10. spring — of water
  11. face — to point toward
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. face — part of the head
  14. spring — a coil
  15. root — of a plant
  16. wake — before a funeral
  17. date — on the calendar
  18. root — the cause
  19. wake — to stop sleeping
  20. kick — a thrill
  21. date — on the calendar
  22. nail — on a finger
  23. nail — for a hammer
  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