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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. He is an ace ________________.
  2. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  3. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  4. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  5. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  6. When was this ________________ built?
  7. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  8. The ________________ took off on time.
  9. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  10. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  11. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  12. How do you ________________ your surname?
  13. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  14. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  15. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  16. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  17. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  18. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  19. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  20. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  21. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  22. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  23. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  24. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — in baseball
  2. plane — a tool
  3. mark — a grade
  4. bore — gave birth
  5. bore — to drill
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. spell — a short time
  8. plane — an aircraft
  9. capital — a city
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. capital — a big letter
  12. spell — letters
  13. kick — with a leg
  14. mark — to pay attention
  15. plane — in geometry
  16. temple — side of the head
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. capital — money
  19. kick — in football
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. bore — to tire
  22. mark — a trace
  23. spell — magic
  24. kick — a thrill

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