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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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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 · field · root · bowl · foot · straw · leaves · snap

  1. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  2. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  3. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  4. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  5. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  6. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  7. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  8. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  9. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  10. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  11. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  12. When was this ________________ built?
  13. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  14. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  15. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  16. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  17. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  18. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  19. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  20. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  21. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  22. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  23. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  24. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. field — a subject
  2. leaves — of a tree
  3. straw — dry grass
  4. temple — side of the head
  5. bowl — to roll
  6. snap — to click
  7. foot — the bottom
  8. field — farmland
  9. leaves — lets stay
  10. bowl — a football final
  11. snap — to snap out of it
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. root — of a word
  15. foot — part of the body
  16. leaves — to go away
  17. root — of a plant
  18. straw — a straw man
  19. snap — to speak sharply
  20. bowl — a dish
  21. straw — to clutch at straws
  22. field — for sport
  23. foot — a measure
  24. root — the cause

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