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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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. How do you ________________ your surname?
  2. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  3. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  4. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  5. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  6. When was this ________________ built?
  7. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  8. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  9. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  10. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  11. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  12. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  13. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  14. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  15. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  16. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  17. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  18. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  19. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  20. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  21. There's no middle ________________.
  22. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  23. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  24. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — letters
  2. bore — to drill
  3. chest — a box
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. ground — crushed
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. spell — a short time
  8. stem — of a plant
  9. bank — for money
  10. ground — the earth
  11. chest — of your body
  12. object — an aim
  13. stem — a stem cell
  14. spell — magic
  15. object — to protest
  16. temple — side of the head
  17. bank — for money
  18. stem — to come from
  19. chest — of your body
  20. object — a thing
  21. ground — a position
  22. bank — of a river
  23. bore — to tire
  24. bore — gave birth

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