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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: bound · saw · patient · root · spring · temple · trunk · fine

  1. He works in a ________________ mill.
  2. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  3. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  4. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  5. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  6. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  7. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  8. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  9. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  10. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  11. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  12. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  13. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  14. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  15. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  16. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  17. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  18. That was ________________ to happen.
  19. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  20. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  21. When was this ________________ built?
  22. She's very handy with a ________________.
  23. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  24. The elephant has a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. fine — a penalty
  3. spring — of water
  4. bound — tied together
  5. patient — calm and waiting
  6. spring — the season
  7. root — of a plant
  8. root — the cause
  9. trunk — of a tree
  10. temple — side of the head
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. spring — a coil
  13. bound — obliged
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. saw — past of 'see'
  16. fine — high quality
  17. root — of a word
  18. bound — certain
  19. fine — all right
  20. trunk — of a car
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. saw — the tool
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. trunk — of an elephant

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