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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
468
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 · jam · mine · nail · patient · object · snap · lean

  1. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  2. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  3. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  4. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  5. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  6. When was this ________________ built?
  7. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  8. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  9. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  10. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  11. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  12. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  13. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  14. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  15. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  16. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  17. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  18. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  19. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  20. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  21. The ________________ went through the wall.
  22. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  23. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  24. He is as ________________ as a wolf.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — calm and waiting
  2. object — a thing
  3. mine — for digging
  4. snap — to click
  5. lean — to rest against
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. mine — an explosive
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. snap — to speak sharply
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. nail — on a finger
  12. jam — in traffic
  13. lean — to bend
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. snap — to snap out of it
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. jam — to spread on bread
  18. object — an aim
  19. jam — a tight spot
  20. object — to protest
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. temple — side of the head
  23. mine — belonging to me
  24. lean — thin

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