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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: mouse · firm · temple · degree · safe · root · last · race

  1. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  2. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  3. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  4. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  5. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  6. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  7. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  8. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  9. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  10. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  11. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  12. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  13. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  14. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  15. When was this ________________ built?
  16. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  17. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  18. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  19. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  20. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  21. False peace will not ________________.
  22. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  23. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  24. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — a company
  2. root — of a plant
  3. mouse — for a computer
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. race — the arms race
  6. degree — from a university
  7. degree — temperature
  8. temple — side of the head
  9. race — a contest
  10. last — final
  11. last — finally
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. race — humankind
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. firm — decided
  17. root — the cause
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. root — of a word
  20. safe — a strongbox
  21. last — to go on
  22. degree — an amount
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. firm — steady

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