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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. When was this ________________ built?
  2. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  3. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  4. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  5. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  6. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  7. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  8. The ________________ market has crashed.
  9. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  10. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  11. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  12. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  13. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  14. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  15. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  16. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  17. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  18. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  19. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  20. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  21. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  22. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  23. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  24. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — a place of worship
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. fork — a garden tool
  4. bore — to drill
  5. shower — to wash
  6. toast — a drink to someone
  7. bore — to tire
  8. stock — shares
  9. stock — a soup base
  10. bore — gave birth
  11. temple — side of the head
  12. stock — goods
  13. shower — a meteor shower
  14. toast — bread
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. fork — to eat with
  17. mark — a grade
  18. fork — in a road
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. shower — rain
  21. mark — to pay attention
  22. safe — a strongbox
  23. mark — a trace
  24. toast — the most admired

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