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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. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  2. We're almost out of ________________.
  3. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  4. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  5. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  6. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  7. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  8. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  9. Have you found your soul ________________?
  10. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  11. You don't need to ________________ round.
  12. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  13. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  14. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  15. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  16. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  17. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  18. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  19. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  20. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  21. When was this ________________ built?
  22. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  23. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  24. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — side of the head
  2. pop — soda
  3. snap — to snap out of it
  4. snap — to speak sharply
  5. snap — to click
  6. bore — to tire
  7. bore — gave birth
  8. track — a path
  9. mate — a partner
  10. prune — the fruit
  11. pop — to visit
  12. wake — before a funeral
  13. bore — to drill
  14. track — to keep track
  15. pop — music
  16. wake — a trail
  17. prune — to trim
  18. prune — to trim
  19. wake — to stop sleeping
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. mate — to breed
  23. mate — a friend
  24. track — a song

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