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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. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  2. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  3. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  4. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  5. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  6. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  7. When was this ________________ built?
  8. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  9. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  10. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  11. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  12. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  13. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  14. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  15. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  16. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  17. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  18. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  19. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  20. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  21. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  22. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  23. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  24. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to drill
  2. temple — side of the head
  3. mine — for digging
  4. lash — a whip stroke
  5. present — there
  6. mine — an explosive
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. wake — before a funeral
  9. wake — to stop sleeping
  10. bat — the animal
  11. present — the time now
  12. wake — a trail
  13. bore — to tire
  14. march — the month
  15. bat — for baseball
  16. lash — an eyelash
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. mine — belonging to me
  19. march — music
  20. present — a gift
  21. bore — gave birth
  22. bat — in an idiom
  23. march — the month
  24. lash — to lash out

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