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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. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  3. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  4. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  5. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  6. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  7. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  8. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  9. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  10. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  11. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  12. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  13. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  14. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  15. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  16. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  17. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  18. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  19. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  20. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  21. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  22. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  23. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  24. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?

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

Answer key

  1. temple — a place of worship
  2. pass — to spend time
  3. wake — before a funeral
  4. chest — a box
  5. prune — to trim
  6. snap — to click
  7. prune — the fruit
  8. bore — gave birth
  9. snap — to snap out of it
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. prune — to trim
  12. pass — to succeed
  13. temple — side of the head
  14. bore — to drill
  15. wake — a trail
  16. snap — to speak sharply
  17. cue — a signal
  18. chest — of your body
  19. cue — for pool
  20. chest — of your body
  21. cue — a hint
  22. wake — to stop sleeping
  23. pass — a permit
  24. bore — to tire

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