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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: safe · hand · root · temple · band · file · suit · perch

  1. When was this ________________ built?
  2. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  3. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  4. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  5. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  6. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  7. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  8. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  9. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  10. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  11. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  12. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  13. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  14. When will it ________________ you to start?
  15. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  16. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  17. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  18. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  19. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  20. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  21. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  22. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  23. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  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. temple — a place of worship
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. hand — help
  4. root — of a plant
  5. file — a tool
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. hand — part of the body
  8. band — a rubber band
  9. suit — clothes
  10. band — a ring
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. suit — in cards
  13. temple — side of the head
  14. suit — to fit
  15. root — the cause
  16. root — of a word
  17. perch — the fish
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. safe — a strongbox
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. file — a line of people
  22. band — a music group
  23. hand — in cards
  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