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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. When was this ________________ built?
  2. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  3. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  4. She's very handy with a ________________.
  5. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  6. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  7. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  8. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  9. He works in a ________________ mill.
  10. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  11. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  12. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  13. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  14. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  15. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  16. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  17. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  18. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  19. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  20. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  21. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  22. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  23. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  24. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — a place of worship
  2. march — the month
  3. march — music
  4. saw — the tool
  5. saw — past of 'see'
  6. kick — in football
  7. current — happening now
  8. temple — side of the head
  9. saw — the tool
  10. bore — to tire
  11. current — electric
  12. current — of water
  13. wake — before a funeral
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. bore — gave birth
  16. wake — a trail
  17. fork — a garden tool
  18. wake — to stop sleeping
  19. bore — to drill
  20. march — the month
  21. fork — in a road
  22. kick — a thrill
  23. fork — to eat with
  24. kick — with a leg

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