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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: drill · bay · lean · sharp · racket · jam · temple · present

  1. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  2. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  3. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  4. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  5. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  6. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  7. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  8. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  9. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  10. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  11. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  12. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  13. It's one o'clock ________________.
  14. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  15. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  16. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  17. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  18. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  19. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  20. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  21. My mare is ________________ in color.
  22. When was this ________________ built?
  23. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  24. Tom got himself in a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. present — there
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. temple — side of the head
  4. bay — to keep at bay
  5. lean — thin
  6. present — a gift
  7. lean — to rest against
  8. sharp — with an edge
  9. jam — in traffic
  10. bay — a part of the sea
  11. drill — a practice
  12. racket — a loud noise
  13. sharp — exactly
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. lean — to bend
  16. drill — army training
  17. present — the time now
  18. sharp — clever
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. jam — to spread on bread
  21. bay — a horse colour
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. drill — the tool
  24. jam — a tight spot

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