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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. When was this ________________ built?
  2. What do you think of the new ________________?
  3. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  4. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  5. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  6. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  7. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  8. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  9. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  10. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  11. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  12. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  13. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  14. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  15. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  16. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  17. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  18. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  19. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  20. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  21. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  22. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  23. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  24. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — a place of worship
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. board — a committee
  5. rock — a stone
  6. temple — side of the head
  7. cabinet — a cupboard
  8. hand — in cards
  9. hand — help
  10. rock — music
  11. bore — to tire
  12. rock — to move gently
  13. bore — gave birth
  14. pit — a hole
  15. chest — a box
  16. pit — in a race
  17. pit — a fruit stone
  18. chest — of your body
  19. board — to get on
  20. chest — of your body
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. board — a flat piece
  23. bore — to drill
  24. hand — part of the body

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