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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: bound · mine · root · safe · jam · band · temple · wound

  1. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  2. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  3. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  4. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  5. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  6. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  7. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  8. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  9. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  10. That was ________________ to happen.
  11. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  12. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  13. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  14. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  15. When was this ________________ built?
  16. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  17. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  18. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  19. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  20. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  21. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  22. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  23. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  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. band — a music group
  2. wound — past of 'wind'
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. wound — an injury
  5. wound — an injury
  6. mine — an explosive
  7. root — of a word
  8. band — a ring
  9. root — the cause
  10. bound — certain
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. temple — side of the head
  13. jam — to spread on bread
  14. jam — in traffic
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. bound — tied together
  17. mine — belonging to me
  18. safe — a strongbox
  19. jam — a tight spot
  20. mine — for digging
  21. bound — obliged
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. band — a rubber band
  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