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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 120 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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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: temple · root · race · pit · tear · land · calf · wave

  1. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  2. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  3. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  4. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  5. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  6. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  7. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  8. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  9. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  10. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  11. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  12. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  13. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  14. When was this ________________ built?
  15. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  16. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  17. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  18. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  19. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  20. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  21. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  22. When are we going to ________________?
  23. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  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. land — a country
  2. land — ground
  3. race — the arms race
  4. wave — a sudden rise
  5. root — of a plant
  6. pit — a hole
  7. pit — in a race
  8. root — of a word
  9. wave — of the sea
  10. root — the cause
  11. calf — of the leg
  12. tear — from crying
  13. wave — with your hand
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. race — humankind
  17. pit — a fruit stone
  18. race — a contest
  19. temple — side of the head
  20. tear — from crying
  21. tear — to rip
  22. land — to come down
  23. calf — a young animal
  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