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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: hand · dip · perch · jam · race · bowl · temple · bay

  1. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  2. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  3. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  4. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  5. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  6. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  7. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  8. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  9. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  10. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  11. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  12. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  13. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  14. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  15. My mare is ________________ in color.
  16. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  17. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  18. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  19. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  20. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  21. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  22. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  23. When was this ________________ built?
  24. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to dunk
  2. bay — to keep at bay
  3. dip — a sauce
  4. temple — side of the head
  5. bowl — a football final
  6. jam — a tight spot
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. hand — part of the body
  9. bay — a part of the sea
  10. race — humankind
  11. bowl — to roll
  12. race — the arms race
  13. jam — in traffic
  14. perch — the fish
  15. bay — a horse colour
  16. jam — to spread on bread
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. race — a contest
  19. bowl — a dish
  20. hand — in cards
  21. hand — help
  22. dip — to sink
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. perch — for a bird

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