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

Word bank: temple · tear · jam · dip · rule · rush · perch · cap

  1. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  2. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  3. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  4. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  5. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  6. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  7. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  8. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  9. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  10. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  11. That must've been a ________________.
  12. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  13. When was this ________________ built?
  14. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  15. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  16. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  17. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  18. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  19. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  20. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  21. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  22. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  23. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  24. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — in traffic
  2. dip — a sauce
  3. perch — the fish
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. tear — from crying
  6. tear — from crying
  7. jam — to spread on bread
  8. temple — side of the head
  9. rule — government
  10. rule — a law
  11. rush — a thrill
  12. dip — to dunk
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. jam — a tight spot
  16. rule — to rule out
  17. dip — to sink
  18. rush — to hurry
  19. cap — a hat
  20. cap — a lid
  21. tear — to rip
  22. cap — of ice
  23. rush — hurry
  24. perch — for a bird

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