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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: temple · bore · suit · fan · toast · kid · jam · land

  1. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  2. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  3. When will it ________________ you to start?
  4. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  5. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  6. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  7. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  8. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  9. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  10. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  11. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  12. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  13. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  14. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  15. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  16. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  17. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  18. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  19. When was this ________________ built?
  20. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  21. When are we going to ________________?
  22. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  23. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  24. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — to tease
  2. jam — to spread on bread
  3. suit — to fit
  4. bore — gave birth
  5. suit — clothes
  6. jam — in traffic
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. suit — in cards
  9. bore — to drill
  10. land — a country
  11. land — ground
  12. toast — bread
  13. jam — a tight spot
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. bore — to tire
  16. kid — child
  17. temple — side of the head
  18. fan — to cool the air
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. toast — a drink to someone
  21. land — to come down
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. toast — the most admired
  24. kid — young goat (kid gloves)

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