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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.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  2. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  3. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  4. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  5. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  6. When will it ________________ you to start?
  7. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  8. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  9. I can't ________________ this cold.
  10. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  11. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  12. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  13. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  14. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  15. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  16. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  17. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  18. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  19. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  20. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  21. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  22. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  23. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  24. When was this ________________ built?

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

Answer key

  1. jam — in traffic
  2. suit — in cards
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. file — a tool
  5. mine — for digging
  6. suit — to fit
  7. file — a document
  8. root — the cause
  9. stand — to bear
  10. row — to paddle
  11. row — a line
  12. jam — a tight spot
  13. file — a line of people
  14. temple — side of the head
  15. root — of a plant
  16. root — of a word
  17. stand — on your feet
  18. mine — an explosive
  19. row — a quarrel
  20. mine — belonging to me
  21. stand — for spectators
  22. suit — clothes
  23. jam — to spread on bread
  24. temple — a place of worship

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