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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. When was this ________________ built?
  2. That must've been a ________________.
  3. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  4. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  5. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  6. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  7. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  8. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  9. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  10. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  11. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  12. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  13. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  14. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  15. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  16. False peace will not ________________.
  17. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  18. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  19. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  20. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  21. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  22. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  23. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  24. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — a place of worship
  2. rush — a thrill
  3. bore — gave birth
  4. rush — hurry
  5. rush — to hurry
  6. bore — to drill
  7. last — finally
  8. prune — the fruit
  9. bore — to tire
  10. pound — to hit hard
  11. prune — to trim
  12. last — final
  13. temple — side of the head
  14. trunk — of an elephant
  15. prune — to trim
  16. last — to go on
  17. chip — in a computer
  18. chip — for betting
  19. pound — a weight
  20. chip — to eat
  21. pound — for dogs
  22. trunk — of a car
  23. trunk — of a tree
  24. temple — a place of worship

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