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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
468
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: root · band · jam · board · temple · present · row · spring

  1. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  2. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  3. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  4. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  5. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  6. When was this ________________ built?
  7. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  8. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  9. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  10. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  11. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  12. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  13. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  14. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  15. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  16. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  17. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  18. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  19. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  20. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  21. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  22. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  23. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  24. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a line
  2. present — a gift
  3. band — a rubber band
  4. band — a ring
  5. spring — the season
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. present — the time now
  8. jam — to spread on bread
  9. root — the cause
  10. board — to get on
  11. row — to paddle
  12. root — of a plant
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. band — a music group
  15. row — a quarrel
  16. present — there
  17. board — a committee
  18. spring — of water
  19. jam — in traffic
  20. root — of a word
  21. board — a flat piece
  22. jam — a tight spot
  23. spring — a coil
  24. temple — side of the head

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