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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. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  3. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  4. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  5. When was this ________________ built?
  6. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  7. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  8. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  9. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  10. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  11. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  12. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  13. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  14. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  15. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  16. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  17. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  18. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  19. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  20. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  21. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  22. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  23. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  24. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — a place of worship
  2. bore — to tire
  3. bore — to drill
  4. bank — for money
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. hide — animal skin
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. temple — side of the head
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. bank — for money
  13. ruler — a monarch
  14. bank — of a river
  15. stick — to attach or keep to
  16. rock — to move gently
  17. rock — music
  18. degree — from a university
  19. degree — an amount
  20. rock — a stone
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. degree — temperature
  24. bore — gave birth

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