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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: jam · hide · snap · season · rash · temple · root · rule

  1. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  2. Did you ________________ the meat?
  3. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  4. When was this ________________ built?
  5. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  6. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  7. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  8. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  9. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  10. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  11. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  12. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  13. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  14. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  15. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  16. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  17. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  18. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  19. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  20. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  21. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  22. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  23. Don't do anything ________________.
  24. Spring is a pleasant ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — to rule out
  2. season — to add flavour
  3. root — of a plant
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. snap — to click
  6. temple — side of the head
  7. jam — in traffic
  8. rash — a series
  9. root — of a word
  10. jam — a tight spot
  11. snap — to snap out of it
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. snap — to speak sharply
  14. root — the cause
  15. rash — on the skin
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. rule — a law
  18. season — in sport
  19. jam — to spread on bread
  20. rule — government
  21. hide — animal skin
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. rash — hasty
  24. season — of the year

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