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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: sharp · jam · patient · shower · nail · rash · temple · ground

  1. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  2. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  3. When was this ________________ built?
  4. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  5. The ________________ went through the wall.
  6. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  7. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  8. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  9. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  10. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  11. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  12. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  13. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  14. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  15. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  16. It's one o'clock ________________.
  17. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  18. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  19. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  20. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  21. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  22. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  23. Don't do anything ________________.
  24. There's no middle ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — side of the head
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. jam — to spread on bread
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. ground — the earth
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. jam — a tight spot
  9. patient — calm and waiting
  10. shower — to wash
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. sharp — with an edge
  13. rash — a series
  14. shower — rain
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. sharp — exactly
  17. sharp — clever
  18. shower — a meteor shower
  19. jam — in traffic
  20. nail — on a finger
  21. ground — crushed
  22. rash — on the skin
  23. rash — hasty
  24. ground — a position

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