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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: cell · jam · sharp · foot · temple · root · file · spring

  1. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  2. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  3. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  4. It's one o'clock ________________.
  5. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  6. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  7. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  8. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  9. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  10. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  11. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  12. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  13. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  14. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  15. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  16. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  17. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  18. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  19. He was locked up in a ________________.
  20. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  21. When was this ________________ built?
  22. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  23. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  24. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — a measure
  2. jam — in traffic
  3. jam — a tight spot
  4. sharp — exactly
  5. file — a tool
  6. foot — part of the body
  7. spring — a coil
  8. file — a document
  9. root — of a plant
  10. root — the cause
  11. cell — in biology
  12. file — a line of people
  13. sharp — clever
  14. foot — the bottom
  15. cell — a phone
  16. root — of a word
  17. sharp — with an edge
  18. temple — side of the head
  19. cell — in a prison
  20. spring — the season
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. jam — to spread on bread
  24. spring — of water

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