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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. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  2. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  3. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  4. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  5. When was this ________________ built?
  6. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  7. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  8. Don't do anything ________________.
  9. The King held a masked ________________.
  10. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  11. I've got to change the light ________________.
  12. The light ________________ burned out.
  13. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  14. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  15. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  16. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  17. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  18. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  19. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  20. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  21. The water is too ________________.
  22. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  23. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  24. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — side of the head
  2. bore — to drill
  3. bore — to tire
  4. cold — an illness
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. squash — the sport
  7. ball — a round shape
  8. rash — hasty
  9. ball — a dance
  10. bore — gave birth
  11. bulb — for light
  12. bulb — for light
  13. rash — on the skin
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. cold — the Cold War
  18. bulb — of a plant
  19. mouse — for a computer
  20. squash — to crush
  21. cold — not warm
  22. squash — the vegetable
  23. ball — a great time
  24. rash — a series

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