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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. That must've been a ________________.
  2. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  3. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  4. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  5. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  6. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  7. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  8. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  9. When was this ________________ built?
  10. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  11. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  12. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  13. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  14. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  15. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  16. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  17. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  18. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  19. Have you met the new head ________________?
  20. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  21. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  22. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  23. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  24. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?

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

Answer key

  1. rush — a thrill
  2. wind — moving air
  3. temple — side of the head
  4. bowl — to roll
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. root — the cause
  8. wind — moving air
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. stick — to attach or keep to
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. root — of a plant
  13. bowl — a football final
  14. rush — hurry
  15. bore — to drill
  16. bore — gave birth
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. root — of a word
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. rush — to hurry
  21. bore — to tire
  22. wind — to turn a key
  23. bowl — a dish
  24. coach — pulled by horses

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