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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. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  2. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  3. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  4. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  5. That was a fun ________________.
  6. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  7. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  8. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  9. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  10. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  11. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  12. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  13. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  14. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  15. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  16. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  17. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  18. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  19. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  20. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  21. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  22. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  23. When was this ________________ built?
  24. The old man leaned on his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — side of the head
  2. bore — to tire
  3. staff — employees
  4. bore — to drill
  5. game — a match
  6. game — a kind of play
  7. stick — to attach or keep to
  8. rock — to move gently
  9. rock — a stone
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. stem — a stem cell
  12. bore — gave birth
  13. game — wild animals
  14. staff — employees
  15. field — a subject
  16. field — farmland
  17. rock — music
  18. field — for sport
  19. stem — to come from
  20. stem — of a plant
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. staff — a stick

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