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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: temple · season · kick · root · arm · current · bulb · face

  1. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  2. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  3. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  4. The light ________________ burned out.
  5. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  6. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  7. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  8. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  9. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  10. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  11. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  12. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  13. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  14. When was this ________________ built?
  15. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  16. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  17. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  18. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  19. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  20. Did you ________________ the meat?
  21. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  22. My father caught me by the ________________.
  23. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  24. I've got to change the light ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. current — of water
  4. bulb — for light
  5. face — to confront
  6. root — the cause
  7. current — electric
  8. face — to point toward
  9. temple — side of the head
  10. root — of a plant
  11. bulb — of a plant
  12. kick — with a leg
  13. root — of a word
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. season — of the year
  16. season — in sport
  17. current — happening now
  18. kick — a thrill
  19. face — part of the head
  20. season — to add flavour
  21. kick — in football
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. arm — a part of something
  24. bulb — for light

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