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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: bat · foot · temple · date · jam · tear · roll · can

  1. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  2. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  3. We're on a ________________ here.
  4. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  5. Have you settled on a ________________?
  6. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  7. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  8. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  9. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  10. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  11. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  12. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  13. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  14. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  15. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  16. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  17. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  18. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  19. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  20. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  21. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  22. When was this ________________ built?
  23. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  24. Tom got himself in a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — side of the head
  2. tear — to rip
  3. roll — on a roll
  4. roll — a list
  5. date — on the calendar
  6. tear — from crying
  7. bat — the animal
  8. can — a tin
  9. bat — for baseball
  10. foot — part of the body
  11. foot — the bottom
  12. can — to be able to
  13. jam — in traffic
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. tear — from crying
  16. date — on the calendar
  17. date — the fruit
  18. jam — to spread on bread
  19. roll — a cake
  20. foot — a measure
  21. bat — in an idiom
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. can — a tin
  24. jam — a tight spot

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