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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.

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: mouse · mate · jam · spring · temple · calf · root · degree

  1. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  2. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  3. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  4. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  5. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  6. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  7. Have you found your soul ________________?
  8. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  9. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  10. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  11. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  12. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  13. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  14. When was this ________________ built?
  15. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  16. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  17. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  18. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  19. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  20. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  21. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  22. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  23. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  24. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a word
  2. calf — of the leg
  3. degree — from a university
  4. mate — to breed
  5. degree — an amount
  6. spring — of water
  7. mate — a partner
  8. root — of a plant
  9. spring — the season
  10. spring — a coil
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. jam — in traffic
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. jam — a tight spot
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. mate — a friend
  18. jam — to spread on bread
  19. mouse — for a computer
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. temple — side of the head
  23. root — the cause
  24. degree — temperature

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