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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: bowl · root · spring · bear · temple · prune · sharp · pass

  1. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  2. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  3. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  4. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  5. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  6. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  7. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  8. It's one o'clock ________________.
  9. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  10. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  11. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  12. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  13. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  14. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  15. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  16. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  17. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  18. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  19. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  20. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  21. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  22. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  23. When was this ________________ built?
  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. pass — a permit
  2. bowl — to roll
  3. bear — the animal
  4. bowl — a dish
  5. prune — to trim
  6. root — the cause
  7. bowl — a football final
  8. sharp — exactly
  9. bear — the animal
  10. prune — to trim
  11. prune — the fruit
  12. root — of a plant
  13. spring — the season
  14. pass — to spend time
  15. sharp — with an edge
  16. pass — to succeed
  17. temple — side of the head
  18. root — of a word
  19. sharp — clever
  20. spring — of water
  21. bear — to put up with
  22. spring — a coil
  23. temple — a place of worship
  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