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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. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  3. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  4. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  5. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  6. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  7. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  8. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  9. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  10. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  11. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  12. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  13. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  14. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  15. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  16. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  17. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  18. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  19. My mare is ________________ in color.
  20. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  21. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  22. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  23. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  24. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — a place of worship
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. bore — gave birth
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. bore — to tire
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. march — the month
  9. drill — army training
  10. bay — a part of the sea
  11. lie — to recline
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. bay — to keep at bay
  14. march — the month
  15. drill — the tool
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. bore — to drill
  18. stick — to attach or keep to
  19. bay — a horse colour
  20. hide — animal skin
  21. temple — side of the head
  22. drill — a practice
  23. march — music
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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