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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: nail · mine · bore · safe · bat · perch · temple · jam

  1. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  2. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  3. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  4. The ________________ went through the wall.
  5. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  6. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  7. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  8. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  9. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  10. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  11. When was this ________________ built?
  12. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  13. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  14. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  15. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  16. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  17. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  18. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  19. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  20. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  21. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  22. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  23. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  24. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — to spread on bread
  2. jam — a tight spot
  3. bore — to drill
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. temple — side of the head
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. bat — the animal
  8. mine — belonging to me
  9. bore — gave birth
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. mine — an explosive
  13. bat — in an idiom
  14. nail — on a finger
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. safe — a strongbox
  18. mine — for digging
  19. perch — the fish
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. bore — to tire
  22. jam — in traffic
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. bat — for baseball

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