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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. He was locked up in a ________________.
  2. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  3. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  4. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  5. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  6. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  7. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  8. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  9. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  10. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  11. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  12. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  13. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  14. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  15. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  16. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  17. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  18. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  19. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  20. When was this ________________ built?
  21. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  22. Where did you ________________ them?
  23. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  24. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in a prison
  2. cell — a phone
  3. degree — an amount
  4. toast — a drink to someone
  5. pound — to hit hard
  6. cell — in biology
  7. toast — bread
  8. bore — to tire
  9. temple — side of the head
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. snap — to speak sharply
  12. pound — a weight
  13. degree — from a university
  14. snap — to click
  15. toast — the most admired
  16. degree — temperature
  17. snap — to snap out of it
  18. mug — a face
  19. bore — gave birth
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. pound — for dogs
  22. mug — to rob
  23. mug — a cup
  24. bore — to drill

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