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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: stand · spring · bowl · lie · squash · bass · temple · root

  1. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  2. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  3. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  4. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  5. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  6. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  7. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  8. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  9. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  10. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  11. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  12. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  13. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  14. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  15. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  16. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  17. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  18. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  19. When was this ________________ built?
  20. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  21. I can't ________________ this cold.
  22. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  23. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  24. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — the season
  2. spring — of water
  3. bass — the instrument
  4. bowl — a dish
  5. squash — the sport
  6. squash — the vegetable
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. squash — to crush
  10. bass — the fish
  11. temple — side of the head
  12. root — of a word
  13. stand — on your feet
  14. spring — a coil
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. bass — low music
  17. root — of a plant
  18. bowl — to roll
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. lie — to recline
  21. stand — to bear
  22. stand — for spectators
  23. root — the cause
  24. bowl — a football final

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