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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
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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 · sharp · root · rest · stem · pass · jam · pop

  1. We're almost out of ________________.
  2. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  3. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  4. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  5. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  6. You don't need to ________________ round.
  7. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  8. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  9. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  10. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  11. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  12. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  13. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  14. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  15. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  16. When was this ________________ built?
  17. It's one o'clock ________________.
  18. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  19. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  20. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  21. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  22. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  23. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  24. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — soda
  2. jam — a tight spot
  3. stem — to come from
  4. pass — to succeed
  5. rest — what's left
  6. pop — to visit
  7. root — the cause
  8. sharp — with an edge
  9. jam — in traffic
  10. pass — to spend time
  11. pop — music
  12. rest — what's left
  13. root — of a word
  14. temple — side of the head
  15. jam — to spread on bread
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. sharp — exactly
  18. sharp — clever
  19. root — of a plant
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. stem — of a plant
  22. pass — a permit
  23. rest — a break
  24. stem — a stem cell

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