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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.

Make a worksheet

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: bat · craft · fan · mine · ground · lie · temple · root

  1. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  2. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  3. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  4. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  5. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  6. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  7. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  8. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  9. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  10. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  11. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  12. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  13. When was this ________________ built?
  14. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  15. There's no middle ________________.
  16. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  17. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  18. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  19. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  20. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  21. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  22. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  23. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  24. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — to cool the air
  2. root — of a plant
  3. temple — side of the head
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. root — of a word
  6. root — the cause
  7. ground — crushed
  8. mine — belonging to me
  9. mine — for digging
  10. bat — for baseball
  11. bat — in an idiom
  12. lie — to recline
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. craft — boats
  15. ground — a position
  16. mine — an explosive
  17. ground — the earth
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. craft — a skill
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. bat — the animal
  24. craft — a handicraft

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