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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: wake · leaves · root · temple · field · hand · cap · jam

  1. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  2. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  3. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  4. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  5. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  6. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  7. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  8. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  9. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  10. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  11. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  12. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  13. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  14. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  15. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  16. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  17. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  18. When was this ________________ built?
  19. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  20. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  21. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  22. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  23. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  24. The polar ice ________________ is melting.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — to spread on bread
  2. field — for sport
  3. jam — in traffic
  4. field — farmland
  5. hand — part of the body
  6. cap — a lid
  7. wake — a trail
  8. wake — to stop sleeping
  9. field — a subject
  10. hand — help
  11. leaves — to go away
  12. wake — before a funeral
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. jam — a tight spot
  15. root — of a word
  16. temple — side of the head
  17. leaves — of a tree
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. leaves — lets stay
  20. root — the cause
  21. hand — in cards
  22. root — of a plant
  23. cap — a hat
  24. cap — of ice

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