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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.

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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: lie · stick · root · plane · temple · mine · shower · season

  1. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  2. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  3. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  4. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  5. The ________________ took off on time.
  6. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  7. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  8. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  9. When was this ________________ built?
  10. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  11. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  12. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  13. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  14. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  15. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  16. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  17. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  18. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  19. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  20. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  21. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  22. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  23. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  24. Did you ________________ the meat?

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. root — of a word
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. plane — a tool
  5. plane — an aircraft
  6. mine — for digging
  7. shower — rain
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. stick — to attach or keep to
  11. season — in sport
  12. season — of the year
  13. root — the cause
  14. lie — to recline
  15. mine — an explosive
  16. mine — belonging to me
  17. shower — a meteor shower
  18. plane — in geometry
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. root — of a plant
  21. temple — side of the head
  22. shower — to wash
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. season — to add flavour

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