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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. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  2. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  3. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  4. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  5. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  6. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  7. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  8. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  9. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  10. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  11. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  12. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  13. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  14. When was this ________________ built?
  15. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  16. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  17. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  18. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  19. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  20. The ________________ market has crashed.
  21. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  22. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  23. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  24. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — a place of worship
  2. tear — from crying
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. lash — an eyelash
  5. bore — to drill
  6. ruler — a monarch
  7. clip — to cut
  8. stock — a soup base
  9. clip — for paper
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. clip — a video
  13. bore — gave birth
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. temple — side of the head
  17. lash — a whip stroke
  18. stock — goods
  19. mouse — for a computer
  20. stock — shares
  21. lash — to lash out
  22. tear — to rip
  23. bore — to tire
  24. tear — from crying

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