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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: foot · clip · nail · face · wax · root · stick · temple

  1. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  2. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  3. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  4. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  5. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  6. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  7. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  8. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  9. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  10. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  11. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  12. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  13. When was this ________________ built?
  14. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  15. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  16. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  17. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  18. The ________________ went through the wall.
  19. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  20. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  21. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  22. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  23. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  24. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — part of the body
  2. clip — to cut
  3. clip — for paper
  4. face — part of the head
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. root — of a plant
  8. foot — the bottom
  9. root — the cause
  10. wax — for sculpting
  11. stick — to attach or keep to
  12. wax — in the ear
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. root — of a word
  15. nail — on a finger
  16. face — to point toward
  17. wax — to grow
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. face — to confront
  20. foot — a measure
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. clip — a video
  23. temple — side of the head
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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