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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.

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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: cap · root · temple · bowl · face · lash · game · mate

  1. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  2. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  3. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  4. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  5. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  6. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  7. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  8. When was this ________________ built?
  9. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  10. Have you found your soul ________________?
  11. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  12. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  13. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  14. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  15. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  16. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  17. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  18. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  19. That was a fun ________________.
  20. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  21. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  22. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  23. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  24. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?

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

Answer key

  1. face — part of the head
  2. cap — a hat
  3. mate — a friend
  4. temple — side of the head
  5. lash — an eyelash
  6. lash — to lash out
  7. bowl — to roll
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. bowl — a dish
  10. mate — a partner
  11. lash — a whip stroke
  12. root — of a plant
  13. face — to point toward
  14. root — of a word
  15. face — to confront
  16. mate — to breed
  17. game — wild animals
  18. root — the cause
  19. game — a match
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. game — a kind of play
  22. bowl — a football final
  23. cap — of ice
  24. cap — a lid

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