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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 words: he'll be late again.
  2. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  3. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  4. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  5. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  6. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  7. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  8. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  9. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  10. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  11. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  12. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  13. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  14. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  15. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  16. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  17. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  18. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  19. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  20. When was this ________________ built?
  21. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  22. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  23. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  24. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?

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

Answer key

  1. mark — to pay attention
  2. bore — gave birth
  3. mark — a trace
  4. pass — a permit
  5. shower — a meteor shower
  6. cap — of ice
  7. wake — a trail
  8. shower — to wash
  9. bore — to drill
  10. wake — before a funeral
  11. temple — side of the head
  12. shower — rain
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. pass — to spend time
  15. fall — to drop
  16. fall — the season
  17. wake — to stop sleeping
  18. mark — a grade
  19. pass — to succeed
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. fall — to drop
  22. cap — a lid
  23. cap — a hat
  24. bore — to tire

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