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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. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  2. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  3. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  4. David sat on the ________________.
  5. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  6. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  7. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  8. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  9. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  10. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  11. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  12. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  13. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  14. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  15. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  16. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  17. When was this ________________ built?
  18. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  19. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  20. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  21. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  22. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  23. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  24. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.

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. lash — to lash out
  4. swing — to play on
  5. mouse — for a computer
  6. lash — an eyelash
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. trunk — of an elephant
  9. trunk — of a tree
  10. band — a music group
  11. lash — a whip stroke
  12. band — a ring
  13. band — a rubber band
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. bore — gave birth
  16. vault — a safe
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. trunk — of a car
  19. swing — in golf
  20. bore — to drill
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. vault — an arched ceiling
  23. swing — music
  24. vault — in gymnastics

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