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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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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: bulb · bound · rule · snap · temple · band · tear · root

  1. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  2. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  3. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  4. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  5. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  6. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  7. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  8. When was this ________________ built?
  9. That was ________________ to happen.
  10. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  11. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  12. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  13. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  14. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  15. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  16. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  17. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  18. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  19. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  20. I've got to change the light ________________.
  21. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  22. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  23. The light ________________ burned out.
  24. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — a law
  2. band — a rubber band
  3. root — of a plant
  4. bulb — of a plant
  5. snap — to click
  6. bound — obliged
  7. tear — to rip
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. bound — certain
  10. tear — from crying
  11. rule — government
  12. tear — from crying
  13. snap — to snap out of it
  14. rule — to rule out
  15. root — of a word
  16. root — the cause
  17. band — a music group
  18. snap — to speak sharply
  19. bound — tied together
  20. bulb — for light
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. temple — side of the head
  23. bulb — for light
  24. band — a ring

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