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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. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  2. When was this ________________ built?
  3. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  4. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  5. Where did you ________________ them?
  6. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  7. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  8. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  9. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  10. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  11. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  12. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  13. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  14. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  15. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  16. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  17. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  18. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  19. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  20. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  21. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  22. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  23. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  24. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to tire
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. bore — gave birth
  5. mug — to rob
  6. trunk — of a car
  7. trunk — of an elephant
  8. mug — a face
  9. mug — a cup
  10. dip — to sink
  11. dip — to dunk
  12. temple — side of the head
  13. dip — a sauce
  14. hand — help
  15. trunk — of a tree
  16. pit — a hole
  17. bore — to drill
  18. ruler — a monarch
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. hand — part of the body
  21. pit — a fruit stone
  22. hand — in cards
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. pit — in a race

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