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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. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  3. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  4. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  5. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  6. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  7. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  8. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  9. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  10. How do you ________________ your surname?
  11. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  12. Have you met the new head ________________?
  13. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  14. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  15. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  16. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  17. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  18. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  19. My father caught me by the ________________.
  20. When was this ________________ built?
  21. This piece is in a major ________________.
  22. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  23. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  24. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — a place of worship
  2. bore — to tire
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. arm — a part of something
  5. bear — to put up with
  6. bear — the animal
  7. bear — the animal
  8. spell — a short time
  9. bore — gave birth
  10. spell — letters
  11. spell — magic
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. lie — to recline
  14. coach — pulled by horses
  15. temple — side of the head
  16. key — the most important part
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. bore — to drill
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. key — in music
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. key — for a lock
  24. arm — part of the body

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