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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. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  2. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  3. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  4. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  5. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  6. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  7. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  8. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  9. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  10. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  11. When was this ________________ built?
  12. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  13. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  14. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  15. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  16. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  17. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  18. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  19. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  20. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  21. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  22. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  23. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  24. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — a drink to someone
  2. race — a contest
  3. bore — to drill
  4. bass — low music
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. bore — gave birth
  7. race — the arms race
  8. toast — bread
  9. bass — the instrument
  10. bank — for money
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. kid — to tease
  13. trunk — of an elephant
  14. bass — the fish
  15. temple — side of the head
  16. toast — the most admired
  17. kid — child
  18. bank — for money
  19. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  20. trunk — of a car
  21. bore — to tire
  22. trunk — of a tree
  23. bank — of a river
  24. race — humankind

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