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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. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  2. False peace will not ________________.
  3. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  4. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  5. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  6. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  7. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  8. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  9. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  10. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  11. When was this ________________ built?
  12. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  13. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  14. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  15. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  16. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  17. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  18. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  19. I can't ________________ this cold.
  20. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  21. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  22. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  23. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  24. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. last — to go on
  3. bore — gave birth
  4. fall — the season
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. rest — a break
  7. bore — to drill
  8. fall — to drop
  9. spring — a coil
  10. spring — of water
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. stand — on your feet
  13. temple — side of the head
  14. last — final
  15. rest — what's left
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. rest — what's left
  18. last — finally
  19. stand — to bear
  20. bore — to tire
  21. stand — for spectators
  22. stick — to attach or keep to
  23. spring — the season
  24. fall — to drop

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