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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: hand · dip · temple · root · content · bound · scale · suit

  1. When was this ________________ built?
  2. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  3. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  4. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  5. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  6. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  7. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  8. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  9. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  10. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  11. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  12. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  13. That was ________________ to happen.
  14. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  15. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  16. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  17. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  18. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  19. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  20. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  21. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  22. When will it ________________ you to start?
  23. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  24. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — a place of worship
  2. root — of a word
  3. suit — clothes
  4. dip — a sauce
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. hand — help
  7. content — happy
  8. content — the amount
  9. scale — in music
  10. dip — to sink
  11. root — of a plant
  12. content — videos and posts
  13. bound — certain
  14. hand — in cards
  15. suit — in cards
  16. hand — part of the body
  17. scale — size or range
  18. bound — obliged
  19. root — the cause
  20. scale — for weighing
  21. dip — to dunk
  22. suit — to fit
  23. temple — side of the head
  24. bound — tied together

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