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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 · date · season · perch · mine · charge · temple · plane

  1. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  2. When was this ________________ built?
  3. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  4. Did you ________________ the meat?
  5. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  6. The tickets are free of ________________.
  7. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  8. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  9. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  10. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  11. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  12. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  13. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  14. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  15. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  16. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  17. Have you settled on a ________________?
  18. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  19. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  20. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  21. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  22. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  23. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  24. The ________________ took off on time.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — belonging to me
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. season — to add flavour
  5. date — the fruit
  6. charge — a price
  7. root — of a plant
  8. temple — side of the head
  9. charge — electricity
  10. mine — an explosive
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. mine — for digging
  13. root — the cause
  14. plane — a tool
  15. season — of the year
  16. date — on the calendar
  17. date — on the calendar
  18. plane — in geometry
  19. season — in sport
  20. charge — in control
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. perch — the fish
  23. root — of a word
  24. plane — an aircraft

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