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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. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  2. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  3. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  4. It's one o'clock ________________.
  5. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  6. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  7. He works in a ________________ mill.
  8. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  9. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  10. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  11. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  12. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  13. When was this ________________ built?
  14. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  15. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  16. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  17. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  18. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  19. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  20. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  21. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  22. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  23. What do you think of the new ________________?
  24. She's very handy with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — to recline
  2. bore — gave birth
  3. temple — side of the head
  4. sharp — exactly
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. bore — to tire
  7. saw — the tool
  8. mine — an explosive
  9. squash — the vegetable
  10. cabinet — a cupboard
  11. saw — past of 'see'
  12. squash — the sport
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. bore — to drill
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. squash — to crush
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. sharp — with an edge
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. mine — for digging
  21. sharp — clever
  22. mine — belonging to me
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. saw — the tool

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