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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: band · temple · trunk · file · root · object · arm · bass

  1. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  2. My father caught me by the ________________.
  3. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  4. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  5. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  6. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  7. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  8. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  9. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  10. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  11. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  12. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  13. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  14. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  15. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  16. When was this ________________ built?
  17. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  18. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  19. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  20. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  21. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  22. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  23. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  24. I play ________________ in a jazz band.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a word
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. arm — a part of something
  4. trunk — of a car
  5. file — a line of people
  6. file — a tool
  7. bass — low music
  8. trunk — of a tree
  9. root — of a plant
  10. temple — side of the head
  11. object — to protest
  12. object — a thing
  13. band — a music group
  14. file — a document
  15. root — the cause
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. band — a ring
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. band — a rubber band
  21. trunk — of an elephant
  22. bass — the fish
  23. object — an aim
  24. bass — the instrument

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