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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: jam · race · bore · dip · band · foot · temple · cabinet

  1. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  2. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  3. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  4. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  5. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  6. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  7. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  8. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  9. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  10. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  11. What do you think of the new ________________?
  12. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  13. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  14. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  15. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  16. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  17. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  18. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  19. When was this ________________ built?
  20. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  21. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  22. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  23. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  24. I have a corn on my right ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — a place of worship
  2. bore — to drill
  3. jam — in traffic
  4. foot — the bottom
  5. dip — to dunk
  6. band — a music group
  7. temple — side of the head
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. foot — a measure
  10. bore — to tire
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. bore — gave birth
  13. jam — a tight spot
  14. dip — a sauce
  15. race — a contest
  16. race — the arms race
  17. dip — to sink
  18. band — a ring
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. cabinet — a cupboard
  21. jam — to spread on bread
  22. band — a rubber band
  23. race — humankind
  24. foot — part of the body

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