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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. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  2. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  3. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  4. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  5. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  6. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  7. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  8. He is an ace ________________.
  9. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  10. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  11. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  12. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  13. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  14. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  15. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  16. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  17. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  18. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  19. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  20. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  21. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  22. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  23. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  24. When was this ________________ built?

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to drill
  2. race — a contest
  3. temple — side of the head
  4. race — the arms race
  5. pound — for dogs
  6. fine — a penalty
  7. pound — a weight
  8. pitcher — in baseball
  9. bear — the animal
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. bore — gave birth
  12. bear — the animal
  13. bore — to tire
  14. pound — to hit hard
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. race — humankind
  17. fall — to drop
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. fall — the season
  20. fine — high quality
  21. bear — to put up with
  22. fall — to drop
  23. fine — all right
  24. temple — a place of worship

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