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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 · content · object · trunk · fan · spell · bore

  1. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  2. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  3. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  4. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  5. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  6. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  7. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  8. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  9. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  10. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  11. How do you ________________ your surname?
  12. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  13. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  14. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  15. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  16. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  17. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  18. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  19. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  20. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  21. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  22. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  23. When was this ________________ built?
  24. Would you like some apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. jam — a tight spot
  2. spell — magic
  3. content — videos and posts
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. spell — a short time
  6. object — a thing
  7. object — an aim
  8. trunk — of an elephant
  9. jam — in traffic
  10. trunk — of a tree
  11. spell — letters
  12. bore — to drill
  13. fan — to cool the air
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. bore — gave birth
  16. bore — to tire
  17. trunk — of a car
  18. content — happy
  19. object — to protest
  20. temple — side of the head
  21. content — the amount
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. jam — to spread on bread

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