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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. Where did you ________________ them?
  2. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  3. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  4. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  5. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  6. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  7. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  8. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  9. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  10. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  11. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  12. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  13. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  14. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  15. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  16. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  17. When was this ________________ built?
  18. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  19. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  20. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  21. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  22. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  23. I can't ________________ this cold.
  24. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — to rob
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. stand — on your feet
  4. clip — for paper
  5. foot — the bottom
  6. bat — the animal
  7. bore — gave birth
  8. foot — part of the body
  9. clip — to cut
  10. bat — in an idiom
  11. temple — side of the head
  12. stand — for spectators
  13. foot — a measure
  14. bore — to tire
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. mug — a cup
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. ruler — a monarch
  19. bat — for baseball
  20. clip — a video
  21. bore — to drill
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. stand — to bear
  24. mug — a face

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