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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.

Make a worksheet

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: key · bulb · root · patient · saw · temple · ground · leaves

  1. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  2. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  3. She's very handy with a ________________.
  4. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  5. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  6. He works in a ________________ mill.
  7. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  8. This piece is in a major ________________.
  9. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  10. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  11. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  12. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  13. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  14. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  15. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  16. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  17. I've got to change the light ________________.
  18. The light ________________ burned out.
  19. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  20. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  21. When was this ________________ built?
  22. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  23. There's no middle ________________.
  24. Hard work is the ________________ to success.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — of a plant
  2. leaves — to go away
  3. saw — the tool
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. leaves — of a tree
  6. saw — the tool
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. key — in music
  9. ground — the earth
  10. root — of a word
  11. key — for a lock
  12. saw — past of 'see'
  13. root — the cause
  14. patient — calm and waiting
  15. ground — crushed
  16. temple — side of the head
  17. bulb — for light
  18. bulb — for light
  19. leaves — lets stay
  20. root — of a plant
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. ground — a position
  24. key — the most important part

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