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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. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  2. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  3. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  4. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  5. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  6. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  7. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  8. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  9. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  10. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  11. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  12. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  13. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  14. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  15. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  16. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  17. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  18. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  19. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  20. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  21. When was this ________________ built?
  22. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  23. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  24. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — a place of worship
  2. current — of water
  3. bore — to drill
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. perch — the fish
  6. shower — rain
  7. current — happening now
  8. ruler — a monarch
  9. chair — a professorship
  10. bore — to tire
  11. temple — side of the head
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. chair — to sit on
  14. current — electric
  15. can — a tin
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. bore — gave birth
  18. can — a tin
  19. can — to be able to
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. shower — to wash
  23. shower — a meteor shower
  24. chair — a leader

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