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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. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  2. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  3. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  4. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  5. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  6. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  7. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  8. When was this ________________ built?
  9. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  10. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  11. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  12. The water is too ________________.
  13. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  14. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  15. Have you settled on a ________________?
  16. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  17. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  18. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  19. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  20. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  21. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  22. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  23. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  24. He had ________________ pain while walking.

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

Answer key

  1. cold — an illness
  2. temple — side of the head
  3. date — on the calendar
  4. hide — animal skin
  5. date — the fruit
  6. present — a gift
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. present — there
  12. cold — not warm
  13. bore — to drill
  14. present — the time now
  15. date — on the calendar
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. bore — to tire
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. cold — the Cold War
  20. bore — gave birth
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. racket — a loud noise
  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