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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. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  2. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  3. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  4. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  5. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  6. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  7. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  8. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  9. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  10. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  11. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  12. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  13. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  14. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  15. When was this ________________ built?
  16. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  17. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  18. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  19. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  20. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  21. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  22. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  23. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  24. He had ________________ pain while walking.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to drill
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. hand — in cards
  4. bore — to tire
  5. pass — to spend time
  6. fine — a penalty
  7. mark — a trace
  8. mark — a grade
  9. toast — a drink to someone
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. toast — the most admired
  12. hand — help
  13. pass — a permit
  14. mark — to pay attention
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. temple — side of the head
  17. pass — to succeed
  18. hand — part of the body
  19. fine — high quality
  20. fine — all right
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. bore — gave birth
  23. toast — bread
  24. calf — of the leg

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