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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. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  2. When was this ________________ built?
  3. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  4. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  5. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  6. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  7. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  8. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  9. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  10. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  11. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  12. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  13. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  14. What do you think of the new ________________?
  15. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  16. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  17. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  18. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  19. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  20. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  21. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  22. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  23. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  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. club — for dancing
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. foot — the bottom
  4. temple — side of the head
  5. stick — to attach or keep to
  6. club — for golf
  7. foot — a measure
  8. net — after costs
  9. club — a group
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. cabinet — a cupboard
  12. bore — to drill
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. net — in sport
  19. bore — to tire
  20. foot — part of the body
  21. lie — to recline
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. net — for catching
  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