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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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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: row · spring · cap · root · bound · chip · temple · chest

  1. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  2. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  3. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  4. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  5. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  6. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  7. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  8. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  9. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  10. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  11. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  12. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  13. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  14. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  15. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  16. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  17. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  18. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  19. That was ________________ to happen.
  20. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  21. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  22. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  23. When was this ________________ built?
  24. The polar ice ________________ is melting.

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

Answer key

  1. root — the cause
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. chip — for betting
  4. chip — in a computer
  5. chest — of your body
  6. row — a line
  7. bound — tied together
  8. spring — the season
  9. row — to paddle
  10. root — of a word
  11. root — of a plant
  12. spring — of water
  13. row — a quarrel
  14. cap — a lid
  15. chest — a box
  16. temple — side of the head
  17. chest — of your body
  18. spring — a coil
  19. bound — certain
  20. bound — obliged
  21. cap — a hat
  22. chip — to eat
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. cap — of ice

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