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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. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  2. We're on a ________________ here.
  3. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  4. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  5. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  6. My mare is ________________ in color.
  7. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  8. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  9. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  10. When was this ________________ built?
  11. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  12. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  13. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  14. That must've been a ________________.
  15. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  16. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  17. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  18. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  19. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  20. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  21. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  22. False peace will not ________________.
  23. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  24. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a part of the sea
  2. roll — on a roll
  3. temple — side of the head
  4. rush — hurry
  5. present — there
  6. bay — a horse colour
  7. present — the time now
  8. pit — a fruit stone
  9. pit — a hole
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. drill — the tool
  12. drill — army training
  13. bay — to keep at bay
  14. rush — a thrill
  15. drill — a practice
  16. last — final
  17. rush — to hurry
  18. last — finally
  19. roll — a cake
  20. roll — a list
  21. pit — in a race
  22. last — to go on
  23. present — a gift
  24. temple — a place of worship

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