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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 124 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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: prune · bark · safe · temple · key · fan · band · foot

  1. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  2. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  3. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  4. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  5. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  6. This piece is in a major ________________.
  7. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  8. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  9. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  10. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  11. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  12. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  13. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  14. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  15. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  16. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  17. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  18. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  19. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  20. When was this ________________ built?
  21. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  22. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  23. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  24. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. bark — to shout
  3. key — for a lock
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. bark — of a tree
  6. key — in music
  7. fan — to cool the air
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. prune — the fruit
  10. key — the most important part
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. foot — part of the body
  13. band — a ring
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. temple — side of the head
  16. bark — a dog's sound
  17. prune — to trim
  18. safe — a strongbox
  19. foot — a measure
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. band — a rubber band
  22. prune — to trim
  23. foot — the bottom
  24. band — a music group

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