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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. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  2. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  3. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  4. I can't ________________ this cold.
  5. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  6. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  7. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  8. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  9. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  10. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  11. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  12. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  13. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  14. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  15. Don't do anything ________________.
  16. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  17. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  18. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  19. Did you ________________ the meat?
  20. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  21. When was this ________________ built?
  22. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  23. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  24. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — on your feet
  2. bore — to drill
  3. bore — to tire
  4. stand — to bear
  5. season — in sport
  6. mine — for digging
  7. bore — gave birth
  8. temple — side of the head
  9. mine — an explosive
  10. season — of the year
  11. wind — moving air
  12. jam — in traffic
  13. wind — to turn a key
  14. wind — moving air
  15. rash — hasty
  16. rash — on the skin
  17. rash — a series
  18. stand — for spectators
  19. season — to add flavour
  20. jam — to spread on bread
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. jam — a tight spot
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. mine — belonging to me

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