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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. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  2. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  3. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  4. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  5. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  6. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  7. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  8. When was this ________________ built?
  9. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  10. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  11. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  12. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  13. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  14. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  15. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  16. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  17. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  18. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  19. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  20. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  21. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  22. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  23. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  24. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — a place of worship
  2. staff — employees
  3. temple — side of the head
  4. rest — a break
  5. bore — to drill
  6. net — in sport
  7. chair — a leader
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. net — after costs
  10. pound — a weight
  11. fine — high quality
  12. rest — what's left
  13. fine — a penalty
  14. bore — gave birth
  15. pound — to hit hard
  16. fine — all right
  17. chair — to sit on
  18. rest — what's left
  19. staff — employees
  20. net — for catching
  21. bore — to tire
  22. staff — a stick
  23. chair — a professorship
  24. pound — for dogs

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