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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 · perch · bore · face · current · pop · stand · jam

  1. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  2. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  3. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  4. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  5. We're almost out of ________________.
  6. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  7. When was this ________________ built?
  8. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  9. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  10. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  11. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  12. I can't ________________ this cold.
  13. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  14. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  15. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  16. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  17. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  18. You don't need to ________________ round.
  19. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  20. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  21. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  22. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  23. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  24. Tom got himself in a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. bore — gave birth
  4. perch — the fish
  5. pop — soda
  6. bore — to drill
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. current — happening now
  9. face — part of the head
  10. face — to confront
  11. current — electric
  12. stand — to bear
  13. pop — music
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. current — of water
  16. stand — on your feet
  17. face — to point toward
  18. pop — to visit
  19. jam — to spread on bread
  20. temple — side of the head
  21. stand — for spectators
  22. jam — in traffic
  23. bore — to tire
  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