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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. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  2. My mare is ________________ in color.
  3. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  4. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  5. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  6. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  7. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  8. The tickets are free of ________________.
  9. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  10. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  11. When was this ________________ built?
  12. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  13. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  14. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  15. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  16. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  17. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  18. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  19. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  20. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  21. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  22. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  23. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  24. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — a practice
  2. bay — a horse colour
  3. temple — side of the head
  4. leaves — to go away
  5. charge — in control
  6. bay — a part of the sea
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. charge — a price
  9. rest — what's left
  10. rest — a break
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. can — a tin
  13. leaves — of a tree
  14. drill — army training
  15. bore — to drill
  16. bore — gave birth
  17. can — a tin
  18. bore — to tire
  19. leaves — lets stay
  20. drill — the tool
  21. charge — electricity
  22. bay — to keep at bay
  23. can — to be able to
  24. rest — what's left

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