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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. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  3. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  4. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  5. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  6. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  7. Have you settled on a ________________?
  8. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  9. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  10. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  11. The King held a masked ________________.
  12. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  13. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  14. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  15. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  16. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  17. I can't ________________ this cold.
  18. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  19. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  20. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  21. When was this ________________ built?
  22. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  23. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  24. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to tire
  2. ball — a round shape
  3. pit — in a race
  4. pit — a fruit stone
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. pit — a hole
  7. date — on the calendar
  8. date — the fruit
  9. stand — for spectators
  10. date — on the calendar
  11. ball — a dance
  12. spring — a coil
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. ball — a great time
  15. stand — on your feet
  16. spring — the season
  17. stand — to bear
  18. hide — animal skin
  19. bore — gave birth
  20. bore — to drill
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. temple — side of the head
  23. spring — of water
  24. hide — to keep secret

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