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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: wax · root · bass · safe · clip · temple · bat · mate

  1. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  2. Have you found your soul ________________?
  3. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  4. When was this ________________ built?
  5. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  6. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  7. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  8. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  9. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  10. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  11. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  12. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  13. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  14. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  15. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  16. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  17. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  18. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  19. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  20. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  21. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  22. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  23. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  24. Hold the papers together with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — for baseball
  2. mate — a partner
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. clip — to cut
  6. wax — for sculpting
  7. mate — to breed
  8. bass — the instrument
  9. root — of a word
  10. temple — side of the head
  11. safe — a strongbox
  12. root — the cause
  13. root — of a plant
  14. bat — in an idiom
  15. bat — the animal
  16. mate — a friend
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. wax — to grow
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. wax — in the ear
  21. clip — a video
  22. bass — the fish
  23. bass — low music
  24. clip — for paper

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