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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: jam · tear · mate · present · dip · bore · board · chest

  1. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  2. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  3. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  4. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  5. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  6. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  7. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  8. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  9. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  10. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  11. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  12. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  13. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  14. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  15. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  16. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  17. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  18. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  19. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  20. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  21. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  22. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  23. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  24. Have you found your soul ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. jam — in traffic
  2. jam — a tight spot
  3. present — there
  4. chest — of your body
  5. bore — gave birth
  6. jam — to spread on bread
  7. mate — to breed
  8. tear — from crying
  9. dip — to sink
  10. present — a gift
  11. present — the time now
  12. board — a flat piece
  13. mate — a friend
  14. board — to get on
  15. tear — from crying
  16. dip — a sauce
  17. tear — to rip
  18. chest — a box
  19. board — a committee
  20. dip — to dunk
  21. bore — to tire
  22. chest — of your body
  23. bore — to drill
  24. mate — a partner

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