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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. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  2. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  3. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  4. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  5. There's no middle ________________.
  6. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  7. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  8. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  9. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  10. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  11. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  12. When was this ________________ built?
  13. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  14. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  15. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  16. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  17. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  18. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  19. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  20. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  21. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  22. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  23. That must've been a ________________.
  24. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — the tool
  2. bore — to tire
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. temple — side of the head
  5. ground — a position
  6. row — to paddle
  7. rock — music
  8. ground — the earth
  9. rush — to hurry
  10. bore — gave birth
  11. row — a line
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. rock — a stone
  14. bore — to drill
  15. drill — army training
  16. field — farmland
  17. rock — to move gently
  18. ground — crushed
  19. row — a quarrel
  20. rush — hurry
  21. drill — a practice
  22. field — for sport
  23. rush — a thrill
  24. field — a subject

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