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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: root · kid · current · temple · mug · scale · file · foot

  1. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  2. When was this ________________ built?
  3. Where did you ________________ them?
  4. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  5. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  6. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  7. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  8. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  9. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  10. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  11. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  12. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  13. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  14. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  15. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  16. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  17. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  18. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  19. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  20. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  21. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  22. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  23. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  24. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. mug — to rob
  4. current — electric
  5. current — of water
  6. mug — a face
  7. root — the cause
  8. foot — the bottom
  9. foot — part of the body
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. root — of a plant
  12. scale — in music
  13. kid — to tease
  14. file — a document
  15. file — a line of people
  16. scale — size or range
  17. scale — for weighing
  18. current — happening now
  19. mug — a cup
  20. temple — side of the head
  21. root — of a word
  22. file — a tool
  23. foot — a measure
  24. kid — child

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