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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 · root · saw · perch · object · nail · content · temple

  1. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  2. The ________________ went through the wall.
  3. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  4. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  5. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  6. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  7. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  8. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  9. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  10. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  11. When was this ________________ built?
  12. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  13. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  14. He works in a ________________ mill.
  15. She's very handy with a ________________.
  16. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  17. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  18. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  19. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  20. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  21. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  22. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  23. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  24. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.

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

Answer key

  1. content — happy
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. nail — on a finger
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. saw — past of 'see'
  7. root — of a plant
  8. object — an aim
  9. object — to protest
  10. root — of a word
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. content — videos and posts
  13. jam — a tight spot
  14. saw — the tool
  15. saw — the tool
  16. object — a thing
  17. root — the cause
  18. perch — the fish
  19. temple — side of the head
  20. jam — to spread on bread
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. jam — in traffic
  23. content — the amount
  24. nail — for a hammer

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