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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. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  2. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  3. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  4. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  5. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  6. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  7. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  8. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  9. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  10. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  11. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  12. We're on a ________________ here.
  13. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  14. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  15. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  16. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  17. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  18. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  19. When was this ________________ built?
  20. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  21. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  22. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  23. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  24. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to bend
  2. wake — a trail
  3. race — a contest
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. bore — gave birth
  6. can — to be able to
  7. race — the arms race
  8. temple — side of the head
  9. wake — before a funeral
  10. wake — to stop sleeping
  11. bore — to drill
  12. roll — on a roll
  13. dip — to dunk
  14. can — a tin
  15. dip — a sauce
  16. roll — a cake
  17. roll — a list
  18. dip — to sink
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. bore — to tire
  21. can — a tin
  22. lean — thin
  23. race — humankind
  24. lean — to rest against

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