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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. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  2. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  3. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  4. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  5. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  6. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  7. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  8. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  9. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  10. Have you met the new head ________________?
  11. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  12. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  13. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  14. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  15. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  16. When was this ________________ built?
  17. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  18. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  19. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  20. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  21. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  22. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  23. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  24. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. bore — to tire
  3. wake — to stop sleeping
  4. wind — moving air
  5. foot — part of the body
  6. kid — to tease
  7. foot — a measure
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. foot — the bottom
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. bore — gave birth
  12. wind — to turn a key
  13. wake — before a funeral
  14. temple — side of the head
  15. rest — a break
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. rest — what's left
  18. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  19. rest — what's left
  20. kid — child
  21. bore — to drill
  22. wake — a trail
  23. coach — pulled by horses
  24. wind — moving air

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