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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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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: temple · board · prune · mate · safe · root · mouse · nail

  1. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  2. Have you found your soul ________________?
  3. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  4. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  5. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  6. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  7. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  8. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  9. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  10. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  11. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  12. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  13. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  14. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  15. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  16. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  17. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  18. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  19. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  20. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  21. When was this ________________ built?
  22. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  23. The ________________ went through the wall.
  24. He has no idea where the ________________ is.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. mate — a partner
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. prune — the fruit
  6. mate — a friend
  7. board — to get on
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. temple — side of the head
  10. nail — on a finger
  11. prune — to trim
  12. mate — to breed
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. mouse — for a computer
  15. board — a flat piece
  16. root — of a plant
  17. board — a committee
  18. root — of a word
  19. root — the cause
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. safe — a strongbox

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