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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: safe · rock · stem · rest · capital · temple · root · shower

  1. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  2. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  3. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  4. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  5. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  6. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  7. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  8. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  9. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  10. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  11. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  12. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  13. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  14. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  15. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  16. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  17. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  18. When was this ________________ built?
  19. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  20. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  21. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  22. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  23. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  24. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. root — of a word
  3. capital — a big letter
  4. rock — music
  5. rest — what's left
  6. stem — to come from
  7. capital — money
  8. shower — rain
  9. rest — what's left
  10. safe — a strongbox
  11. temple — side of the head
  12. shower — a meteor shower
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. capital — a city
  15. root — the cause
  16. rock — to move gently
  17. stem — a stem cell
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. rest — a break
  20. shower — to wash
  21. rock — a stone
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. stem — of a plant
  24. root — of a plant

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