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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 120 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: ball · temple · bound · mouse · root · craft · hide · ground

  1. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  2. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  3. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  4. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  5. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  6. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  7. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  8. The King held a masked ________________.
  9. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  10. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  11. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  12. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  13. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  14. There's no middle ________________.
  15. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  16. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  17. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  18. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  19. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  20. When was this ________________ built?
  21. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  22. That was ________________ to happen.
  23. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  24. The kitten curled into a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — animal skin
  2. temple — side of the head
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. craft — a handicraft
  5. craft — boats
  6. bound — obliged
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. ball — a dance
  9. ball — a great time
  10. ground — crushed
  11. mouse — for a computer
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. root — the cause
  14. ground — a position
  15. ground — the earth
  16. root — of a plant
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. craft — a skill
  19. root — of a word
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. bound — certain
  23. bound — tied together
  24. ball — a round shape

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