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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: temple · jam · nail · lean · pit · kid · rush · straw

  1. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  2. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  3. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  4. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  5. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  6. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  7. That must've been a ________________.
  8. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  9. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  10. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  11. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  12. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  13. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  14. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  15. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  16. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  17. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  18. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  19. The ________________ went through the wall.
  20. When was this ________________ built?
  21. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  22. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  23. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  24. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — to spread on bread
  2. straw — dry grass
  3. jam — a tight spot
  4. pit — a hole
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. straw — to clutch at straws
  7. rush — a thrill
  8. kid — to tease
  9. kid — child
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. straw — a straw man
  12. lean — to rest against
  13. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  14. lean — thin
  15. lean — to bend
  16. pit — a fruit stone
  17. rush — to hurry
  18. temple — side of the head
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. nail — on a finger
  22. rush — hurry
  23. pit — in a race
  24. jam — in traffic

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