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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 120 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. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  2. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  3. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  4. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  5. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  6. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  7. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  8. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  9. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  10. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  11. When was this ________________ built?
  12. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  13. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  14. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  15. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  16. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  17. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  18. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  19. What do you think of the new ________________?
  20. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  21. It's one o'clock ________________.
  22. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  23. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  24. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — a place of worship
  2. bore — gave birth
  3. foot — the bottom
  4. present — there
  5. temple — side of the head
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. cabinet — a cupboard
  8. sharp — clever
  9. rule — government
  10. bore — to drill
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. foot — a measure
  13. present — the time now
  14. present — a gift
  15. wave — a sudden rise
  16. bore — to tire
  17. wave — of the sea
  18. wave — with your hand
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. sharp — with an edge
  21. sharp — exactly
  22. rule — a law
  23. foot — part of the body
  24. rule — to rule 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