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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: pound · hide · temple · bulb · mate · shower · root · jam

  1. I've got to change the light ________________.
  2. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  3. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  4. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  5. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  6. The light ________________ burned out.
  7. Have you found your soul ________________?
  8. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  9. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  10. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  11. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  12. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  13. When was this ________________ built?
  14. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  15. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  16. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  17. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  18. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  19. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  20. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  21. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  22. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  23. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  24. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. jam — a tight spot
  3. root — of a word
  4. shower — to wash
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. bulb — for light
  7. mate — a partner
  8. jam — to spread on bread
  9. pound — to hit hard
  10. root — the cause
  11. hide — animal skin
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. mate — to breed
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. shower — a meteor shower
  17. jam — in traffic
  18. temple — side of the head
  19. shower — rain
  20. mate — a friend
  21. bulb — of a plant
  22. root — of a plant
  23. pound — for dogs
  24. pound — a weight

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