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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 · temple · land · band · cabinet · drill · bay · swing

  1. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  2. My mare is ________________ in color.
  3. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  4. When are we going to ________________?
  5. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  6. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  7. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  8. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  9. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  10. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  11. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  12. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  13. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  14. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  15. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  16. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  17. When was this ________________ built?
  18. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  19. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  20. David sat on the ________________.
  21. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  22. What do you think of the new ________________?
  23. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  24. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — to keep at bay
  2. bay — a horse colour
  3. jam — a tight spot
  4. land — to come down
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. swing — music
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. band — a rubber band
  9. bay — a part of the sea
  10. drill — the tool
  11. jam — in traffic
  12. band — a music group
  13. drill — a practice
  14. land — a country
  15. cabinet — a cupboard
  16. swing — in golf
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. band — a ring
  19. land — ground
  20. swing — to play on
  21. temple — side of the head
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. jam — to spread on bread
  24. drill — army training

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