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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 · chest · bore · swing · bay · fan · temple · mouse

  1. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  2. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  3. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  4. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  5. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  6. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  7. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  8. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  9. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  10. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  11. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  12. David sat on the ________________.
  13. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  14. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  15. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  16. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  17. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  18. My mare is ________________ in color.
  19. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  20. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  21. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  22. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  23. When was this ________________ built?
  24. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — to spread on bread
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. temple — side of the head
  5. bay — a part of the sea
  6. swing — in golf
  7. jam — a tight spot
  8. fan — to cool the air
  9. mouse — for a computer
  10. jam — in traffic
  11. chest — a box
  12. swing — to play on
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. swing — music
  16. bore — gave birth
  17. bay — to keep at bay
  18. bay — a horse colour
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. chest — of your body
  21. bore — to tire
  22. bore — to drill
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. chest — of your body

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