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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. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  2. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  3. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  4. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  5. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  6. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  7. When was this ________________ built?
  8. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  9. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  10. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  11. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  12. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  13. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  14. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  15. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  16. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  17. What do you think of the new ________________?
  18. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  19. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  20. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  21. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  22. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  23. The King held a masked ________________.
  24. Have you met the new head ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — a cupboard
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. pit — a hole
  4. coach — pulled by horses
  5. wound — an injury
  6. pit — in a race
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. ball — a round shape
  9. bore — to drill
  10. chest — of your body
  11. pit — a fruit stone
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. bore — to tire
  15. wound — past of 'wind'
  16. wound — an injury
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. chest — of your body
  19. temple — side of the head
  20. chest — a box
  21. ball — a great time
  22. bore — gave birth
  23. ball — a dance
  24. coach — a trainer

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