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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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468
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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. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  2. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  3. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  4. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  5. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  6. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  7. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  8. Where did you ________________ them?
  9. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  10. She's very handy with a ________________.
  11. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  12. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  13. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  14. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  15. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  16. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  17. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  18. When was this ________________ built?
  19. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  20. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  21. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  22. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  23. He works in a ________________ mill.
  24. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — a loud noise
  2. temple — side of the head
  3. saw — past of 'see'
  4. rest — a break
  5. bore — gave birth
  6. pound — to hit hard
  7. race — the arms race
  8. mug — to rob
  9. mug — a cup
  10. saw — the tool
  11. race — humankind
  12. bore — to tire
  13. rest — what's left
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. pound — a weight
  17. rest — what's left
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. race — a contest
  20. bore — to drill
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. mug — a face
  23. saw — the tool
  24. pound — for dogs

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