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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. That must've been a ________________.
  3. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  4. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  5. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  6. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  7. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  8. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  9. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  10. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  11. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  12. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  13. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  14. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  15. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  16. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  17. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  18. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  19. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  20. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  21. When was this ________________ built?
  22. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  23. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  24. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — side of the head
  2. rush — a thrill
  3. bear — to put up with
  4. bear — the animal
  5. deal — to handle
  6. lean — thin
  7. cue — for pool
  8. bear — the animal
  9. rush — hurry
  10. cue — a hint
  11. drill — the tool
  12. drill — army training
  13. drill — a practice
  14. bore — gave birth
  15. deal — a big deal
  16. bore — to drill
  17. lean — to bend
  18. rush — to hurry
  19. bore — to tire
  20. deal — an agreement
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. cue — a signal
  24. lean — to rest against

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