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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: stand · temple · band · bat · staff · rush · jam · kick

  1. When was this ________________ built?
  2. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  3. I can't ________________ this cold.
  4. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  5. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  6. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  7. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  8. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  9. That must've been a ________________.
  10. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  11. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  12. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  13. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  14. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  15. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  16. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  17. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  18. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  19. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  20. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  21. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  22. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  23. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  24. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — a place of worship
  2. rush — hurry
  3. stand — to bear
  4. rush — to hurry
  5. jam — in traffic
  6. jam — to spread on bread
  7. bat — for baseball
  8. kick — in football
  9. rush — a thrill
  10. kick — with a leg
  11. jam — a tight spot
  12. temple — side of the head
  13. staff — a stick
  14. bat — the animal
  15. bat — in an idiom
  16. band — a rubber band
  17. stand — for spectators
  18. band — a music group
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. staff — employees
  21. stand — on your feet
  22. band — a ring
  23. staff — employees
  24. kick — a thrill

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