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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: root · lie · roll · rest · date · chest · degree · rock

  1. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  2. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  3. Have you settled on a ________________?
  4. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  5. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  6. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  7. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  8. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  9. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  10. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  11. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  12. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  13. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  14. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  15. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  16. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  17. We're on a ________________ here.
  18. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  19. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  20. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  21. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  22. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  23. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  24. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.

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

Answer key

  1. date — on the calendar
  2. root — of a plant
  3. date — on the calendar
  4. roll — a list
  5. rest — what's left
  6. roll — a cake
  7. rest — a break
  8. chest — of your body
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. degree — from a university
  11. chest — of your body
  12. root — of a word
  13. chest — a box
  14. rock — to move gently
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. degree — an amount
  17. roll — on a roll
  18. lie — to recline
  19. rest — what's left
  20. rock — a stone
  21. rock — music
  22. date — the fruit
  23. root — the cause
  24. degree — temperature

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