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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: root · patient · jam · cell · cap · spring · mouse · temple

  1. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  2. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  3. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  4. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  5. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  6. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  7. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  8. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  9. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  10. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  11. He was locked up in a ________________.
  12. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  13. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  14. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  15. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  16. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  17. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  18. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  19. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  20. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  21. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  22. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  23. When was this ________________ built?
  24. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — calm and waiting
  2. cell — a phone
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. cell — in biology
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. jam — in traffic
  7. cap — a hat
  8. root — of a word
  9. spring — of water
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. cell — in a prison
  12. jam — to spread on bread
  13. mouse — for a computer
  14. cap — a lid
  15. cap — of ice
  16. root — the cause
  17. jam — a tight spot
  18. spring — a coil
  19. spring — the season
  20. root — of a plant
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. temple — side of the head

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