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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 120 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 water is too ________________.
  2. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  3. When was this ________________ built?
  4. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  5. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  6. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  7. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  8. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  9. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  10. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  11. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  12. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  13. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  14. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  15. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  16. Did you ________________ the meat?
  17. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  18. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  19. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  20. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  21. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  22. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  23. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  24. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.

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

Answer key

  1. cold — not warm
  2. bore — to drill
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. bore — to tire
  5. wave — with your hand
  6. season — of the year
  7. season — in sport
  8. wave — of the sea
  9. cold — the Cold War
  10. lie — to recline
  11. temple — side of the head
  12. cue — a signal
  13. wave — a sudden rise
  14. cue — for pool
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. season — to add flavour
  17. bear — the animal
  18. bear — the animal
  19. cue — a hint
  20. cold — an illness
  21. bore — gave birth
  22. bear — to put up with
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. temple — a place of worship

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