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

Word bank: jam · root · leaves · club · scale · temple · lash · snap

  1. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  2. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  3. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  4. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  5. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  6. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  7. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  8. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  9. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  10. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  11. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  12. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  13. When was this ________________ built?
  14. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  15. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  16. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  17. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  18. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  19. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  20. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  21. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  22. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  23. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  24. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to snap out of it
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. lash — to lash out
  4. root — of a plant
  5. club — for dancing
  6. snap — to speak sharply
  7. snap — to click
  8. leaves — of a tree
  9. scale — size or range
  10. jam — in traffic
  11. club — for golf
  12. root — of a word
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. scale — for weighing
  15. root — the cause
  16. club — a group
  17. leaves — to go away
  18. scale — in music
  19. jam — to spread on bread
  20. lash — an eyelash
  21. jam — a tight spot
  22. temple — side of the head
  23. leaves — lets stay
  24. lash — a whip stroke

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