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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: jam · stem · row · craft · bound · patient · temple · bat

  1. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  2. That was ________________ to happen.
  3. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  4. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  5. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  6. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  7. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  8. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  9. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  10. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  11. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  12. When was this ________________ built?
  13. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  14. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  15. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  16. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  17. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  18. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  19. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  20. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  21. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  22. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  23. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  24. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — for baseball
  2. bound — certain
  3. stem — to come from
  4. bat — the animal
  5. jam — to spread on bread
  6. jam — a tight spot
  7. row — to paddle
  8. row — a quarrel
  9. craft — boats
  10. stem — of a plant
  11. bat — in an idiom
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. bound — tied together
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. patient — calm and waiting
  16. craft — a skill
  17. row — a line
  18. jam — in traffic
  19. temple — side of the head
  20. bound — obliged
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. stem — a stem cell
  24. craft — a handicraft

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