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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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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: root · date · degree · spring · suit · lean · wax · temple

  1. When was this ________________ built?
  2. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  3. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  4. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  5. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  6. Have you settled on a ________________?
  7. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  8. When will it ________________ you to start?
  9. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  10. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  11. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  12. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  13. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  14. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  15. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  16. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  17. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  18. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  19. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  20. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  21. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  22. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  23. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  24. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — a place of worship
  2. date — on the calendar
  3. spring — the season
  4. lean — to rest against
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. date — on the calendar
  7. root — of a plant
  8. suit — to fit
  9. suit — clothes
  10. degree — from a university
  11. degree — temperature
  12. date — the fruit
  13. wax — for sculpting
  14. spring — of water
  15. wax — in the ear
  16. root — of a word
  17. suit — in cards
  18. degree — an amount
  19. lean — thin
  20. root — the cause
  21. wax — to grow
  22. spring — a coil
  23. temple — side of the head
  24. lean — to bend

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