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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. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  2. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  3. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  4. When was this ________________ built?
  5. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  6. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  7. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  8. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  9. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  10. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  11. When will it ________________ you to start?
  12. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  13. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  14. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  15. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  16. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  17. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  18. When are we going to ________________?
  19. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  20. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  21. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  22. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  23. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  24. Boris sat near the fire ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to tire
  2. land — ground
  3. fork — to eat with
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. temple — side of the head
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. fork — a garden tool
  8. pit — in a race
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. bore — to drill
  11. suit — to fit
  12. fork — in a road
  13. suit — in cards
  14. suit — clothes
  15. chest — of your body
  16. land — a country
  17. chest — a box
  18. land — to come down
  19. bore — gave birth
  20. pit — a fruit stone
  21. fan — to cool the air
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. chest — of your body
  24. pit — a hole

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