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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. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  2. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  3. The ________________ went through the wall.
  4. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  5. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  6. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  7. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  8. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  9. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  10. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  11. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  12. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  13. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  14. When was this ________________ built?
  15. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  16. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  17. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  18. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  19. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  20. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  21. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  22. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  23. The water is too ________________.
  24. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. stick — to attach or keep to
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. bore — to drill
  5. club — for golf
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. nail — on a finger
  8. bore — gave birth
  9. cold — an illness
  10. club — a group
  11. march — music
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. cold — the Cold War
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. dip — to dunk
  16. dip — to sink
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. march — the month
  19. club — for dancing
  20. temple — side of the head
  21. dip — a sauce
  22. bore — to tire
  23. cold — not warm
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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