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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 · bear · spring · sharp · arm · patient · prune

  1. When was this ________________ built?
  2. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  3. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  4. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  5. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  6. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  7. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  8. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  9. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  10. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  11. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  12. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  13. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  14. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  15. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  16. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  17. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  18. It's one o'clock ________________.
  19. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  20. My father caught me by the ________________.
  21. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  22. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  23. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  24. This knife is not ________________ enough.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — a place of worship
  2. jam — a tight spot
  3. prune — to trim
  4. sharp — clever
  5. spring — the season
  6. bear — to put up with
  7. temple — side of the head
  8. jam — to spread on bread
  9. spring — of water
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. prune — to trim
  15. spring — a coil
  16. jam — in traffic
  17. prune — the fruit
  18. sharp — exactly
  19. bear — the animal
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. bear — the animal
  22. patient — calm and waiting
  23. arm — a part of something
  24. sharp — with an edge

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