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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 was this ________________ built?
  2. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  3. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  4. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  5. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  6. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  7. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  8. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  9. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  10. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  11. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  12. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  13. The King held a masked ________________.
  14. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  15. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  16. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  17. Did you ________________ the meat?
  18. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  19. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  20. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  21. That was ________________ to happen.
  22. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  23. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  24. The kitten curled into a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — a place of worship
  2. prune — the fruit
  3. bore — to drill
  4. rule — government
  5. bound — tied together
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. season — of the year
  8. bore — to tire
  9. rule — a law
  10. temple — side of the head
  11. ball — a great time
  12. season — in sport
  13. ball — a dance
  14. prune — to trim
  15. prune — to trim
  16. craft — a skill
  17. season — to add flavour
  18. craft — a handicraft
  19. bore — gave birth
  20. craft — boats
  21. bound — certain
  22. bound — obliged
  23. rule — to rule out
  24. ball — a round shape

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