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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: pound · rush · temple · root · firm · mate · wax · file

  1. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  2. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  3. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  4. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  5. That must've been a ________________.
  6. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  7. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  8. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  9. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  10. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  11. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  12. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  13. When was this ________________ built?
  14. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  15. Have you found your soul ________________?
  16. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  17. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  18. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  19. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  20. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  21. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  22. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  23. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  24. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a line of people
  2. firm — steady
  3. root — the cause
  4. mate — a friend
  5. rush — a thrill
  6. mate — to breed
  7. firm — a company
  8. pound — a weight
  9. root — of a word
  10. wax — in the ear
  11. wax — for sculpting
  12. temple — side of the head
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. rush — hurry
  15. mate — a partner
  16. rush — to hurry
  17. root — of a plant
  18. wax — to grow
  19. file — a tool
  20. firm — decided
  21. pound — for dogs
  22. pound — to hit hard
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. file — a document

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