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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.

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: tube · band · root · pass · temple · fan · spell · key

  1. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  2. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  3. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  4. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  5. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  6. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  7. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  8. How do you ________________ your surname?
  9. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  10. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  11. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  12. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  13. When was this ________________ built?
  14. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  15. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  16. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  17. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  18. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  19. This piece is in a major ________________.
  20. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  21. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  22. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  23. I'll be taking the ________________.
  24. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. key — for a lock
  2. band — a ring
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. key — the most important part
  5. tube — in a tire
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. pass — a permit
  8. spell — letters
  9. spell — a short time
  10. pass — to succeed
  11. pass — to spend time
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. fan — to cool the air
  15. root — the cause
  16. band — a rubber band
  17. root — of a word
  18. root — of a plant
  19. key — in music
  20. temple — side of the head
  21. spell — magic
  22. tube — a container
  23. tube — the underground
  24. band — a music group

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