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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. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  2. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  3. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  4. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  5. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  6. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  7. He is an ace ________________.
  8. When was this ________________ built?
  9. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  10. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  11. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  12. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  13. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  14. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  15. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  16. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  17. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  18. The ________________ took off on time.
  19. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  20. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  21. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  22. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  23. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  24. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — gave birth
  2. plane — a tool
  3. drill — army training
  4. drill — a practice
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. lie — to recline
  7. pitcher — in baseball
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. bore — to drill
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. shower — rain
  12. shower — a meteor shower
  13. staff — employees
  14. temple — side of the head
  15. shower — to wash
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. staff — employees
  18. plane — an aircraft
  19. bore — to tire
  20. drill — the tool
  21. staff — a stick
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. plane — in geometry
  24. lie — an untruth

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