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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: can · ground · root · face · temple · capital · land · leaves

  1. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  2. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  3. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  4. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  5. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  6. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  7. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  8. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  9. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  10. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  11. When was this ________________ built?
  12. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  13. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  14. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  15. When are we going to ________________?
  16. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  17. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  18. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  19. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  20. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  21. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  22. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  23. There's no middle ________________.
  24. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — crushed
  2. face — part of the head
  3. temple — side of the head
  4. can — a tin
  5. leaves — lets stay
  6. root — of a plant
  7. face — to confront
  8. land — a country
  9. can — a tin
  10. can — to be able to
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. root — the cause
  13. face — to point toward
  14. capital — a city
  15. land — to come down
  16. root — of a word
  17. capital — money
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. ground — the earth
  20. leaves — to go away
  21. land — ground
  22. leaves — of a tree
  23. ground — a position
  24. capital — a big letter

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