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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. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  2. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  3. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  4. When was this ________________ built?
  5. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  6. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  7. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  8. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  9. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  10. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  11. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  12. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  13. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  14. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  15. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  16. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  17. When will it ________________ you to start?
  18. When are we going to ________________?
  19. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  20. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  21. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  22. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  23. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  24. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — in an idiom
  2. object — an aim
  3. bass — low music
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. row — to paddle
  6. bore — gave birth
  7. row — a quarrel
  8. bore — to tire
  9. bat — the animal
  10. bore — to drill
  11. bat — for baseball
  12. suit — in cards
  13. object — to protest
  14. suit — clothes
  15. object — a thing
  16. row — a line
  17. suit — to fit
  18. land — to come down
  19. bass — the fish
  20. bass — the instrument
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. land — a country
  23. temple — side of the head
  24. land — ground

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