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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. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  2. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  3. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  4. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  5. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  6. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  7. When was this ________________ built?
  8. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  9. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  10. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  11. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  12. Have you found your soul ________________?
  13. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  14. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  15. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  16. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  17. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  18. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  19. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  20. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  21. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  22. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  23. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  24. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?

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

Answer key

  1. temple — side of the head
  2. mate — a friend
  3. bore — gave birth
  4. fall — to drop
  5. present — the time now
  6. patient — calm and waiting
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. present — there
  10. bore — to tire
  11. fall — to drop
  12. mate — a partner
  13. chair — to sit on
  14. fall — the season
  15. mate — to breed
  16. bore — to drill
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. object — an aim
  20. chair — a leader
  21. object — to protest
  22. chair — a professorship
  23. object — a thing
  24. present — a gift

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