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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. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  3. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  4. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  5. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  6. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  7. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  8. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  9. We're on a ________________ here.
  10. How do you ________________ your surname?
  11. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  12. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  13. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  14. The King held a masked ________________.
  15. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  16. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  17. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  18. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  19. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  20. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  21. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  22. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  23. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  24. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.

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 — to drill
  3. temple — side of the head
  4. mouse — for a computer
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. ball — a great time
  7. bark — a dog's sound
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. roll — on a roll
  10. spell — letters
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. roll — a list
  13. ball — a round shape
  14. ball — a dance
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. bore — to tire
  17. roll — a cake
  18. bore — gave birth
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. spell — a short time
  21. spell — magic
  22. stick — to attach or keep to
  23. bark — of a tree
  24. bark — to shout

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