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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. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  2. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  3. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  4. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  5. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  6. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  7. David sat on the ________________.
  8. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  9. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  10. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  11. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  12. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  13. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  14. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  15. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  16. That must've been a ________________.
  17. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  18. When was this ________________ built?
  19. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  20. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  21. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  22. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  23. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  24. She's sitting on a gold ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — to hurry
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. temple — side of the head
  4. track — a path
  5. bore — to tire
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. swing — to play on
  8. craft — a handicraft
  9. bore — to drill
  10. mine — an explosive
  11. track — a song
  12. bore — gave birth
  13. craft — a skill
  14. safe — a strongbox
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. rush — a thrill
  17. craft — boats
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. rush — hurry
  20. swing — music
  21. swing — in golf
  22. track — to keep track
  23. mine — belonging to me
  24. mine — for digging

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