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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: stem · saw · bear · snap · prune · can · jam · temple

  1. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  2. She's very handy with a ________________.
  3. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  4. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  5. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  6. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  7. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  8. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  9. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  10. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  11. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  12. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  13. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  14. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  15. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  16. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  17. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  18. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  19. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  20. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  21. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  22. He works in a ________________ mill.
  23. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  24. When was this ________________ built?

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

Answer key

  1. stem — of a plant
  2. saw — the tool
  3. temple — side of the head
  4. bear — to put up with
  5. snap — to snap out of it
  6. can — a tin
  7. jam — in traffic
  8. stem — to come from
  9. bear — the animal
  10. can — to be able to
  11. can — a tin
  12. snap — to speak sharply
  13. prune — to trim
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. prune — the fruit
  16. saw — past of 'see'
  17. snap — to click
  18. stem — a stem cell
  19. prune — to trim
  20. jam — to spread on bread
  21. jam — a tight spot
  22. saw — the tool
  23. bear — the animal
  24. temple — a place of worship

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