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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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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: jam · root · hand · bulb · nail · fine · temple · saw

  1. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  2. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  3. The ________________ went through the wall.
  4. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  5. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  6. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  7. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  8. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  9. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  10. When was this ________________ built?
  11. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  12. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  13. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  14. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  15. The light ________________ burned out.
  16. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  17. She's very handy with a ________________.
  18. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  19. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  20. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  21. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  22. I've got to change the light ________________.
  23. He works in a ________________ mill.
  24. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — a place of worship
  2. jam — to spread on bread
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. bulb — of a plant
  5. hand — part of the body
  6. fine — a penalty
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. root — of a word
  9. jam — a tight spot
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. root — of a plant
  12. saw — past of 'see'
  13. hand — in cards
  14. temple — side of the head
  15. bulb — for light
  16. fine — all right
  17. saw — the tool
  18. nail — on a finger
  19. root — the cause
  20. hand — help
  21. fine — high quality
  22. bulb — for light
  23. saw — the tool
  24. jam — in traffic

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