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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: bowl · mark · arm · root · lean · net · patient · temple

  1. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  2. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  3. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  4. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  5. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  6. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  7. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  8. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  9. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  10. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  11. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  12. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  13. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  14. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  15. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  16. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  17. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  18. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  19. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  20. When was this ________________ built?
  21. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  22. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  23. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  24. My father caught me by the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a word
  2. net — in sport
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. bowl — a football final
  5. bowl — to roll
  6. lean — to rest against
  7. root — the cause
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. arm — a part of something
  10. bowl — a dish
  11. mark — a trace
  12. mark — a grade
  13. net — for catching
  14. lean — thin
  15. net — after costs
  16. lean — to bend
  17. mark — to pay attention
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. patient — calm and waiting
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. root — of a plant
  23. temple — side of the head
  24. arm — part of the body

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