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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.

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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: temple · pit · wax · fork · kid · root · firm · foot

  1. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  2. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  3. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  4. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  5. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  6. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  7. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  8. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  9. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  10. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  11. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  12. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  13. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  14. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  15. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  16. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  17. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  18. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  19. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  20. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  21. When was this ________________ built?
  22. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  23. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  24. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a hole
  2. kid — to tease
  3. pit — a fruit stone
  4. temple — side of the head
  5. root — of a word
  6. foot — a measure
  7. pit — in a race
  8. firm — steady
  9. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  10. fork — in a road
  11. fork — to eat with
  12. firm — a company
  13. foot — the bottom
  14. root — the cause
  15. wax — in the ear
  16. fork — a garden tool
  17. wax — for sculpting
  18. firm — decided
  19. root — of a plant
  20. foot — part of the body
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. wax — to grow
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. kid — child

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