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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: temple · wake · deal · last · lash · root · mouse · jam

  1. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  2. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  3. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  4. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  5. When was this ________________ built?
  6. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  7. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  8. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  9. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  10. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  11. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  12. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  13. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  14. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  15. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  16. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  17. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  18. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  19. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  20. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  21. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  22. False peace will not ________________.
  23. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  24. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.

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

Answer key

  1. last — finally
  2. deal — to handle
  3. root — of a word
  4. temple — side of the head
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. mouse — for a computer
  7. jam — to spread on bread
  8. wake — before a funeral
  9. lash — an eyelash
  10. last — final
  11. jam — a tight spot
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. root — the cause
  15. lash — to lash out
  16. wake — a trail
  17. jam — in traffic
  18. lash — a whip stroke
  19. wake — to stop sleeping
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. deal — a big deal
  22. last — to go on
  23. root — of a plant
  24. deal — an agreement

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