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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. When was this ________________ built?
  2. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  3. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  4. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  5. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  6. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  7. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  8. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  9. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  10. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  11. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  12. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  13. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  14. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  15. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  16. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  17. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  18. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  19. We're on a ________________ here.
  20. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  21. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  22. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  23. The tickets are free of ________________.
  24. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — a place of worship
  2. bowl — a dish
  3. bore — to drill
  4. bore — gave birth
  5. charge — in control
  6. firm — a company
  7. bore — to tire
  8. roll — a cake
  9. charge — electricity
  10. temple — side of the head
  11. clip — a video
  12. bat — the animal
  13. roll — a list
  14. firm — steady
  15. bat — for baseball
  16. clip — for paper
  17. bowl — a football final
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. roll — on a roll
  20. clip — to cut
  21. firm — decided
  22. bowl — to roll
  23. charge — a price
  24. bat — in an idiom

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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