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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. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  5. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  6. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  7. I'll be taking the ________________.
  8. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  9. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  10. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  11. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  12. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  13. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  14. It's one o'clock ________________.
  15. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  16. When was this ________________ built?
  17. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  18. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  19. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  20. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  21. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  22. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  23. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  24. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.

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. bat — for baseball
  5. tube — in a tire
  6. wax — for sculpting
  7. tube — the underground
  8. vault — in gymnastics
  9. foot — the bottom
  10. bore — gave birth
  11. tube — a container
  12. bat — in an idiom
  13. sharp — with an edge
  14. sharp — exactly
  15. wax — in the ear
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. wax — to grow
  18. foot — part of the body
  19. bat — the animal
  20. vault — a safe
  21. foot — a measure
  22. sharp — clever
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. vault — an arched ceiling

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