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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: bound · mate · fork · temple · tear · sharp · cabinet · root

  1. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  2. It's one o'clock ________________.
  3. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  4. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  5. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  6. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  7. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  8. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  9. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  10. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  11. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  12. What do you think of the new ________________?
  13. When was this ________________ built?
  14. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  15. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  16. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  17. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  18. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  19. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  20. That was ________________ to happen.
  21. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  22. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  23. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  24. Have you found your soul ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. mate — to breed
  2. sharp — exactly
  3. root — the cause
  4. root — of a word
  5. fork — a garden tool
  6. root — of a plant
  7. tear — to rip
  8. tear — from crying
  9. temple — side of the head
  10. bound — tied together
  11. mate — a friend
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. bound — obliged
  15. fork — in a road
  16. cabinet — a cupboard
  17. tear — from crying
  18. fork — to eat with
  19. sharp — clever
  20. bound — certain
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. sharp — with an edge
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. mate — a partner

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