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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: temple · rest · bore · shower · jam · board · race · game

  1. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  2. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  3. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  4. When was this ________________ built?
  5. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  6. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  7. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  8. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  9. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  10. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  11. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  12. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  13. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  14. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  15. That was a fun ________________.
  16. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  17. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  18. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  19. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  20. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  21. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  22. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  23. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  24. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — a tight spot
  2. rest — what's left
  3. bore — to drill
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. race — humankind
  6. game — a kind of play
  7. bore — gave birth
  8. game — wild animals
  9. rest — what's left
  10. board — a committee
  11. board — a flat piece
  12. shower — a meteor shower
  13. temple — side of the head
  14. bore — to tire
  15. game — a match
  16. board — to get on
  17. jam — in traffic
  18. jam — to spread on bread
  19. shower — to wash
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. shower — rain
  22. race — a contest
  23. rest — a break
  24. race — the arms race

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