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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: rest · root · jam · bay · plane · temple · chip · bound

  1. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  2. The ________________ took off on time.
  3. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  4. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  5. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  6. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  7. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  8. My mare is ________________ in color.
  9. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  10. When was this ________________ built?
  11. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  12. That was ________________ to happen.
  13. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  14. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  15. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  16. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  17. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  18. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  19. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  20. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  21. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  22. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  23. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  24. Tom got himself in a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — side of the head
  2. plane — an aircraft
  3. chip — to eat
  4. chip — for betting
  5. bay — a part of the sea
  6. bound — obliged
  7. root — the cause
  8. bay — a horse colour
  9. bound — tied together
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. plane — a tool
  12. bound — certain
  13. bay — to keep at bay
  14. plane — in geometry
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. rest — a break
  17. root — of a word
  18. root — of a plant
  19. rest — what's left
  20. jam — to spread on bread
  21. jam — in traffic
  22. chip — in a computer
  23. rest — what's left
  24. jam — a tight spot

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