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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. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  2. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  3. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  4. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  5. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  6. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  7. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  8. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  9. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  10. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  11. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  12. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  13. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  14. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  15. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  16. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  17. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  18. When was this ________________ built?
  19. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  20. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  21. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  22. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  23. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  24. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — a strongbox
  2. bore — gave birth
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. lean — to rest against
  5. bore — to tire
  6. temple — side of the head
  7. wind — moving air
  8. field — farmland
  9. wind — to turn a key
  10. wind — moving air
  11. field — a subject
  12. bore — to drill
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. field — for sport
  15. lean — to bend
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. wake — before a funeral
  20. lean — thin
  21. wake — to stop sleeping
  22. racket — a loud noise
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. wake — a trail

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