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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: root · temple · stem · squash · saw · lie · fan · ball

  1. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  2. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  3. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  4. When was this ________________ built?
  5. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  6. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  7. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  8. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  9. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  10. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  11. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  12. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  13. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  14. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  15. He works in a ________________ mill.
  16. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  17. She's very handy with a ________________.
  18. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  19. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  20. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  21. The King held a masked ________________.
  22. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  23. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  24. I'd like to play a game of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — a place of worship
  2. saw — past of 'see'
  3. fan — to cool the air
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. lie — to recline
  6. stem — of a plant
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. root — of a word
  9. squash — the vegetable
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. root — the cause
  13. temple — side of the head
  14. ball — a round shape
  15. saw — the tool
  16. squash — to crush
  17. saw — the tool
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. stem — a stem cell
  20. root — of a plant
  21. ball — a dance
  22. ball — a great time
  23. stem — to come from
  24. squash — the sport

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