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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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  2. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  3. That must've been a ________________.
  4. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  5. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  6. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  7. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  8. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  9. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  10. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  11. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  12. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  13. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  14. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  15. When was this ________________ built?
  16. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  17. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  18. Have you met the new head ________________?
  19. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  20. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  21. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  22. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  23. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  24. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?

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

Answer key

  1. temple — a place of worship
  2. bore — to tire
  3. rush — a thrill
  4. fan — to cool the air
  5. jam — to spread on bread
  6. rush — to hurry
  7. foot — the bottom
  8. jam — in traffic
  9. degree — temperature
  10. coach — pulled by horses
  11. degree — an amount
  12. foot — part of the body
  13. foot — a measure
  14. rush — hurry
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. bore — gave birth
  17. degree — from a university
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. temple — side of the head
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. jam — a tight spot
  23. bore — to drill
  24. fan — a supporter

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