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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. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  2. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  3. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  4. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  5. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  6. When was this ________________ built?
  7. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  8. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  9. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  10. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  11. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  12. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  13. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  14. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  15. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  16. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  17. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  18. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  19. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  20. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  21. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  22. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  23. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  24. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — a place of worship
  2. squash — the vegetable
  3. craft — boats
  4. net — after costs
  5. toast — a drink to someone
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. toast — bread
  8. pound — a weight
  9. toast — the most admired
  10. pound — to hit hard
  11. bore — gave birth
  12. bore — to tire
  13. craft — a skill
  14. squash — the sport
  15. fall — the season
  16. pound — for dogs
  17. net — in sport
  18. net — for catching
  19. fall — to drop
  20. craft — a handicraft
  21. squash — to crush
  22. temple — side of the head
  23. fall — to drop
  24. bore — to drill

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