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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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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. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  3. When was this ________________ built?
  4. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  5. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  6. My mare is ________________ in color.
  7. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  8. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  9. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  10. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  11. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  12. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  13. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  14. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  15. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  16. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  17. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  18. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  19. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  20. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  21. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  22. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  23. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  24. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to tire
  2. content — videos and posts
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. bore — to drill
  5. temple — side of the head
  6. bay — a horse colour
  7. rule — a law
  8. shower — rain
  9. shower — a meteor shower
  10. rule — government
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. cap — of ice
  13. bore — gave birth
  14. cap — a lid
  15. shower — to wash
  16. bay — a part of the sea
  17. capital — a city
  18. content — the amount
  19. capital — money
  20. bay — to keep at bay
  21. content — happy
  22. rule — to rule out
  23. cap — a hat
  24. capital — a big letter

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