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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
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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: stick · bulb · cold · root · temple · mark · can · mine

  1. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  2. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  3. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  4. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  5. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  6. When was this ________________ built?
  7. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  8. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  9. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  10. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  11. The water is too ________________.
  12. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  13. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  14. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  15. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  16. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  17. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  18. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  19. I've got to change the light ________________.
  20. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  21. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  22. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  23. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  24. The light ________________ burned out.

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

Answer key

  1. root — the cause
  2. mark — a trace
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. can — a tin
  5. mark — a grade
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. cold — the Cold War
  9. bulb — of a plant
  10. temple — side of the head
  11. cold — not warm
  12. mine — an explosive
  13. cold — an illness
  14. mark — to pay attention
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. can — to be able to
  17. stick — to attach or keep to
  18. mine — for digging
  19. bulb — for light
  20. mine — belonging to me
  21. root — of a word
  22. root — of a plant
  23. can — a tin
  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