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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: foot · prune · temple · mug · present · mark · jam · saw

  1. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  2. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  3. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  4. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  5. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  6. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  7. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  8. She's very handy with a ________________.
  9. Where did you ________________ them?
  10. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  11. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  12. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  13. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  14. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  15. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  16. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  17. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  18. He works in a ________________ mill.
  19. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  20. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  21. When was this ________________ built?
  22. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  23. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  24. A ________________ is just a dried plum.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — to spread on bread
  2. foot — the bottom
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. foot — a measure
  5. saw — past of 'see'
  6. mug — a face
  7. present — the time now
  8. saw — the tool
  9. mug — to rob
  10. jam — in traffic
  11. prune — to trim
  12. mark — a trace
  13. foot — part of the body
  14. jam — a tight spot
  15. present — there
  16. mark — to pay attention
  17. mug — a cup
  18. saw — the tool
  19. temple — side of the head
  20. prune — to trim
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. mark — a grade
  23. present — a gift
  24. prune — the fruit

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