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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. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  2. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  3. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  4. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  5. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  6. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  7. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  8. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  9. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  10. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  11. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  12. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  13. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  14. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  15. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  16. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  17. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  18. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  19. When was this ________________ built?
  20. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  21. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  22. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  23. When are we going to ________________?
  24. She's sitting on a gold ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. mine — belonging to me
  3. bore — gave birth
  4. cap — of ice
  5. bear — to put up with
  6. fan — to cool the air
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. bear — the animal
  9. bore — to drill
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. cap — a hat
  12. temple — side of the head
  13. fall — to drop
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. cap — a lid
  16. land — ground
  17. mine — an explosive
  18. fall — the season
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. bear — the animal
  21. land — a country
  22. bore — to tire
  23. land — to come down
  24. mine — for digging

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