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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: root · face · shower · object · temple · ground · ruler · fan

  1. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  2. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  3. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  4. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  5. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  6. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  7. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  8. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  9. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  10. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  11. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  12. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  13. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  14. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  15. When was this ________________ built?
  16. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  17. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  18. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  19. There's no middle ________________.
  20. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  21. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  22. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  23. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  24. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — a monarch
  2. shower — to wash
  3. object — to protest
  4. shower — a meteor shower
  5. ground — the earth
  6. face — to point toward
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. temple — side of the head
  10. shower — rain
  11. ground — crushed
  12. root — the cause
  13. face — part of the head
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. object — an aim
  17. object — a thing
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. ground — a position
  20. root — of a plant
  21. root — of a word
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. fan — to cool the air
  24. face — to confront

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