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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. My father caught me by the ________________.
  2. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  3. Have you found your soul ________________?
  4. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  5. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  6. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  7. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  8. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  9. When was this ________________ built?
  10. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  11. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  12. He is an ace ________________.
  13. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  14. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  15. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  16. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  17. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  18. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  19. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  20. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  21. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  22. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  23. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  24. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. kick — in football
  3. mate — a partner
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. fall — the season
  6. fall — to drop
  7. bore — to drill
  8. temple — side of the head
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. mate — a friend
  11. fall — to drop
  12. pitcher — in baseball
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. bore — gave birth
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. board — a flat piece
  17. bore — to tire
  18. arm — a part of something
  19. kick — with a leg
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. kick — a thrill
  22. board — a committee
  23. mate — to breed
  24. board — to get on

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