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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 120 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. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  3. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  4. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  5. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  6. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  7. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  8. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  9. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  10. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  11. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  12. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  13. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  14. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  15. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  16. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  17. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  18. That must've been a ________________.
  19. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  20. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  21. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  22. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  23. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  24. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — a place of worship
  2. clip — for paper
  3. bore — to drill
  4. bear — the animal
  5. temple — side of the head
  6. clip — a video
  7. bore — gave birth
  8. mark — a grade
  9. bear — the animal
  10. rush — to hurry
  11. mark — to pay attention
  12. clip — to cut
  13. bore — to tire
  14. branch — a division
  15. branch — of a bank
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. branch — of a tree
  18. rush — a thrill
  19. fine — a penalty
  20. bear — to put up with
  21. fine — all right
  22. mark — a trace
  23. rush — hurry
  24. fine — high quality

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