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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: spring · track · fan · root · chip · plane · temple · cue

  1. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  2. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  3. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  4. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  5. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  6. When was this ________________ built?
  7. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  8. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  9. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  10. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  11. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  12. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  13. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  14. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  15. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  16. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  17. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  18. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  19. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  20. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  21. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  22. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  23. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  24. The ________________ took off on time.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — a place of worship
  2. plane — a tool
  3. chip — to eat
  4. root — of a plant
  5. track — to keep track
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. cue — a hint
  9. fan — to cool the air
  10. cue — for pool
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. spring — the season
  13. chip — for betting
  14. cue — a signal
  15. track — a path
  16. root — the cause
  17. spring — of water
  18. chip — in a computer
  19. track — a song
  20. plane — in geometry
  21. root — of a word
  22. spring — a coil
  23. temple — side of the head
  24. plane — an aircraft

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