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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: mug · stem · temple · rock · rule · jam · mark · saw

  1. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  2. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  3. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  4. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  5. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  6. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  7. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  8. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  9. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  10. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  11. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  12. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  13. He works in a ________________ mill.
  14. Where did you ________________ them?
  15. She's very handy with a ________________.
  16. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  17. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  18. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  19. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  20. When was this ________________ built?
  21. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  22. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  23. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  24. Would you like some apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. temple — a place of worship
  2. jam — in traffic
  3. rock — music
  4. stem — of a plant
  5. mug — a face
  6. stem — to come from
  7. rule — a law
  8. jam — a tight spot
  9. temple — side of the head
  10. rule — to rule out
  11. saw — past of 'see'
  12. mug — a cup
  13. saw — the tool
  14. mug — to rob
  15. saw — the tool
  16. mark — to pay attention
  17. mark — a trace
  18. rule — government
  19. rock — to move gently
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. rock — a stone
  22. mark — a grade
  23. stem — a stem cell
  24. jam — to spread on bread

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