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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 are we going to ________________?
  2. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  3. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  4. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  5. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  6. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  7. We're on a ________________ here.
  8. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  9. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  10. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  11. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  12. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  13. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  14. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  15. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  16. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  17. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  18. Have you met the new head ________________?
  19. When was this ________________ built?
  20. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  21. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  22. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  23. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  24. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. land — to come down
  2. bore — to tire
  3. lash — to lash out
  4. cue — a hint
  5. file — a line of people
  6. roll — a list
  7. roll — on a roll
  8. temple — side of the head
  9. roll — a cake
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. file — a document
  12. cue — a signal
  13. lash — an eyelash
  14. file — a tool
  15. bore — gave birth
  16. lash — a whip stroke
  17. bore — to drill
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. land — a country
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. coach — pulled by horses
  23. cue — for pool
  24. land — ground

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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