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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: field · root · face · wave · drill · mug · temple · spell

  1. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  2. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  3. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  4. How do you ________________ your surname?
  5. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  6. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  7. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  8. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  9. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  10. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  11. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  12. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  13. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  14. When was this ________________ built?
  15. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  16. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  17. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  18. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  19. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  20. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  21. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  22. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  23. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  24. Where did you ________________ them?

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a cup
  2. root — of a word
  3. wave — of the sea
  4. spell — letters
  5. face — part of the head
  6. spell — magic
  7. root — of a plant
  8. spell — a short time
  9. wave — a sudden rise
  10. drill — the tool
  11. face — to confront
  12. drill — a practice
  13. field — for sport
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. wave — with your hand
  16. field — a subject
  17. temple — side of the head
  18. face — to point toward
  19. root — the cause
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. field — farmland
  22. mug — a face
  23. drill — army training
  24. mug — to rob

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