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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: temple · prune · hide · jam · ruler · ground · snap · hand

  1. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  2. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  3. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  4. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  5. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  6. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  7. When was this ________________ built?
  8. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  9. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  10. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  11. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  12. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  13. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  14. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  15. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  16. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  17. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  18. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  19. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  20. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  21. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  22. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  23. There's no middle ________________.
  24. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — a tight spot
  2. prune — the fruit
  3. ground — crushed
  4. hand — help
  5. prune — to trim
  6. prune — to trim
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. ruler — a monarch
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. ground — the earth
  12. hand — in cards
  13. snap — to click
  14. snap — to speak sharply
  15. hide — animal skin
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. temple — side of the head
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. jam — in traffic
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. jam — to spread on bread
  22. hand — part of the body
  23. ground — a position
  24. snap — to snap out of it

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