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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: game · root · temple · suit · nail · fan · saw · wake

  1. She's very handy with a ________________.
  2. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  3. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  4. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  5. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  6. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  7. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  8. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  9. When was this ________________ built?
  10. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  11. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  12. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  13. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  14. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  15. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  16. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  17. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  18. The ________________ went through the wall.
  19. That was a fun ________________.
  20. When will it ________________ you to start?
  21. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  22. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  23. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  24. He works in a ________________ mill.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. wake — to stop sleeping
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. game — a kind of play
  5. saw — past of 'see'
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. nail — on a finger
  8. game — wild animals
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. suit — clothes
  11. suit — in cards
  12. root — of a plant
  13. fan — to cool the air
  14. root — of a word
  15. wake — a trail
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. wake — before a funeral
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. game — a match
  20. suit — to fit
  21. root — the cause
  22. temple — side of the head
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. saw — the tool

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