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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. When was this ________________ built?
  2. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  3. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  4. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  5. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  6. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  7. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  8. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  9. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  10. You don't need to ________________ round.
  11. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  12. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  13. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  14. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  15. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  16. The water is too ________________.
  17. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  18. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  19. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  20. That was ________________ to happen.
  21. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  22. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  23. We're almost out of ________________.
  24. She had a strange look on her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — a place of worship
  2. bound — obliged
  3. mouse — for a computer
  4. face — to confront
  5. bore — to drill
  6. temple — side of the head
  7. cold — an illness
  8. cold — the Cold War
  9. root — of a word
  10. pop — to visit
  11. bound — tied together
  12. pop — music
  13. root — of a plant
  14. face — to point toward
  15. bore — gave birth
  16. cold — not warm
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. root — the cause
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. bound — certain
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. bore — to tire
  23. pop — soda
  24. face — part of the head

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