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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. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  5. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  6. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  7. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  8. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  9. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  10. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  11. When was this ________________ built?
  12. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  13. The tickets are free of ________________.
  14. The ________________ went through the wall.
  15. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  16. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  17. The ________________ took off on time.
  18. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  19. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  20. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  21. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  22. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  23. I'll be taking the ________________.
  24. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.

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. bore — gave birth
  5. temple — side of the head
  6. tube — in a tire
  7. mark — a trace
  8. nail — on a finger
  9. mark — to pay attention
  10. plane — in geometry
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. tube — a container
  13. charge — a price
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. march — the month
  16. charge — electricity
  17. plane — an aircraft
  18. charge — in control
  19. plane — a tool
  20. mark — a grade
  21. march — the month
  22. march — music
  23. tube — the underground
  24. nail — for a hammer

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