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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. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  2. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  3. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  4. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  5. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  6. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  7. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  8. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  9. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  10. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  11. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  12. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  13. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  14. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  15. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  16. Have you found your soul ________________?
  17. When was this ________________ built?
  18. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  19. Did you ________________ the meat?
  20. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  21. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  22. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  23. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  24. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. straw — a straw man
  3. straw — to clutch at straws
  4. bat — the animal
  5. bore — to tire
  6. mate — to breed
  7. drill — army training
  8. drill — a practice
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. straw — dry grass
  11. bat — in an idiom
  12. mate — a friend
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. season — in sport
  15. drill — the tool
  16. mate — a partner
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. bore — to drill
  19. season — to add flavour
  20. season — of the year
  21. bat — for baseball
  22. safe — a strongbox
  23. temple — side of the head
  24. bore — gave birth

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