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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: jam · nail · bore · fan · temple · mine · season · bat

  1. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  2. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  3. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  4. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  5. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  6. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  7. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  8. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  9. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  10. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  11. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  12. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  13. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  14. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  15. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  16. Did you ________________ the meat?
  17. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  18. When was this ________________ built?
  19. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  20. The ________________ went through the wall.
  21. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  22. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  23. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  24. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — in an idiom
  2. season — in sport
  3. bore — to tire
  4. nail — on a finger
  5. jam — to spread on bread
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. season — of the year
  8. bat — the animal
  9. fan — to cool the air
  10. jam — in traffic
  11. bat — for baseball
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. jam — a tight spot
  14. temple — side of the head
  15. bore — gave birth
  16. season — to add flavour
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. mine — an explosive
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. bore — to drill
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. mine — for digging
  24. mine — belonging to me

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