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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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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: snap · face · bass · chip · spell · patient · temple · root

  1. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  2. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  3. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  4. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  5. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  6. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  7. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  8. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  9. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  10. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  11. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  12. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  13. When was this ________________ built?
  14. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  15. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  16. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  17. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  18. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  19. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  20. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  21. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  22. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  23. How do you ________________ your surname?
  24. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. chip — in a computer
  4. spell — magic
  5. patient — calm and waiting
  6. face — to point toward
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. snap — to click
  9. chip — to eat
  10. root — of a word
  11. face — to confront
  12. face — part of the head
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. bass — low music
  15. bass — the fish
  16. root — the cause
  17. root — of a plant
  18. temple — side of the head
  19. bass — the instrument
  20. chip — for betting
  21. snap — to speak sharply
  22. spell — a short time
  23. spell — letters
  24. snap — to snap out of it

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