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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. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  2. False peace will not ________________.
  3. When was this ________________ built?
  4. I've got to change the light ________________.
  5. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  6. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  7. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  8. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  9. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  10. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  11. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  12. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  13. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  14. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  15. The light ________________ burned out.
  16. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  17. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  18. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  19. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  20. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  21. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  22. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  23. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  24. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — high quality
  2. last — to go on
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. bulb — for light
  5. object — to protest
  6. chip — to eat
  7. bulb — of a plant
  8. drill — a practice
  9. bore — gave birth
  10. object — a thing
  11. last — finally
  12. fine — a penalty
  13. fine — all right
  14. last — final
  15. bulb — for light
  16. drill — the tool
  17. bore — to drill
  18. object — an aim
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. chip — for betting
  21. temple — side of the head
  22. chip — in a computer
  23. bore — to tire
  24. drill — army training

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