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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 120 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: safe · stem · temple · court · root · shower · perch · coach

  1. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  2. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  3. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  4. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  5. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  6. The ball is in your ________________.
  7. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  8. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  9. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  10. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  11. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  12. When was this ________________ built?
  13. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  14. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  15. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  16. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  17. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  18. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  19. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  20. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  21. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  22. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  23. Have you met the new head ________________?
  24. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of a king
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. coach — pulled by horses
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. root — the cause
  6. court — for sport
  7. stem — of a plant
  8. temple — side of the head
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. perch — the fish
  11. root — of a plant
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. stem — to come from
  14. shower — rain
  15. root — of a word
  16. shower — to wash
  17. court — of law
  18. stem — a stem cell
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. shower — a meteor shower
  22. safe — a strongbox
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. coach — a trainer

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