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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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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 · rash · pit · root · stick · chest · temple · hide

  1. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  2. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  3. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  4. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  5. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  6. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  7. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  8. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  9. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  10. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  11. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  12. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  13. When was this ________________ built?
  14. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  15. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  16. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  17. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  18. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  19. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  20. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  21. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  22. Don't do anything ________________.
  23. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  24. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — side of the head
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. rash — on the skin
  4. hide — animal skin
  5. jam — in traffic
  6. stick — to attach or keep to
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. chest — a box
  9. pit — a hole
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. root — of a plant
  12. root — the cause
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. pit — a fruit stone
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. chest — of your body
  17. pit — in a race
  18. jam — a tight spot
  19. chest — of your body
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. rash — a series
  22. rash — hasty
  23. jam — to spread on bread
  24. root — of a word

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