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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: chest · temple · root · mate · spell · fall · prune · scale

  1. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  2. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  3. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  4. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  5. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  6. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  7. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  8. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  9. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  10. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  11. Have you found your soul ________________?
  12. How do you ________________ your surname?
  13. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  14. When was this ________________ built?
  15. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  16. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  17. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  18. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  19. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  20. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  21. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  22. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  23. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  24. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — of your body
  2. root — the cause
  3. fall — to drop
  4. temple — side of the head
  5. root — of a word
  6. scale — size or range
  7. prune — the fruit
  8. prune — to trim
  9. mate — a friend
  10. scale — for weighing
  11. mate — a partner
  12. spell — letters
  13. scale — in music
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. mate — to breed
  16. root — of a plant
  17. chest — of your body
  18. prune — to trim
  19. fall — to drop
  20. spell — a short time
  21. fall — the season
  22. spell — magic
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. chest — a box

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