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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: season · fork · ground · temple · hide · lie · root · pop

  1. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  2. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  3. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  4. There's no middle ________________.
  5. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  6. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  7. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  8. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  9. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  10. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  11. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  12. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  13. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  14. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  15. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  16. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  17. We're almost out of ________________.
  18. When was this ________________ built?
  19. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  20. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  21. Did you ________________ the meat?
  22. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  23. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  24. You don't need to ________________ round.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. season — of the year
  3. temple — side of the head
  4. ground — a position
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. root — of a word
  7. root — the cause
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. season — in sport
  10. ground — the earth
  11. fork — in a road
  12. hide — animal skin
  13. root — of a plant
  14. fork — a garden tool
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. lie — to recline
  17. pop — soda
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. ground — crushed
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. season — to add flavour
  22. fork — to eat with
  23. pop — music
  24. pop — to visit

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