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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: fan · cap · root · saw · mate · band · fine · temple

  1. Have you found your soul ________________?
  2. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  3. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  4. She's very handy with a ________________.
  5. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  6. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  7. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  8. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  9. When was this ________________ built?
  10. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  11. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  12. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  13. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  14. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  15. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  16. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  17. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  18. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  19. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  20. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  21. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  22. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  23. He works in a ________________ mill.
  24. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a partner
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. root — of a word
  4. saw — the tool
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. band — a rubber band
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. fan — to cool the air
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. root — of a plant
  11. fine — high quality
  12. band — a ring
  13. mate — to breed
  14. fine — a penalty
  15. fine — all right
  16. temple — side of the head
  17. cap — of ice
  18. cap — a lid
  19. cap — a hat
  20. band — a music group
  21. mate — a friend
  22. saw — past of 'see'
  23. saw — the tool
  24. root — the cause

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