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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. That must've been a ________________.
  2. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  3. When was this ________________ built?
  4. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  5. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  6. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  7. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  8. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  9. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  10. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  11. He works in a ________________ mill.
  12. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  13. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  14. She's very handy with a ________________.
  15. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  16. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  17. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  18. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  19. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  20. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  21. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  22. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  23. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  24. Take your time. There's no ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — a thrill
  2. safe — a strongbox
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. wake — to stop sleeping
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. wake — before a funeral
  7. rush — to hurry
  8. toast — a drink to someone
  9. row — a line
  10. bore — to tire
  11. saw — the tool
  12. bore — to drill
  13. row — a quarrel
  14. saw — the tool
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. row — to paddle
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. toast — the most admired
  19. bore — gave birth
  20. toast — bread
  21. wake — a trail
  22. temple — side of the head
  23. saw — past of 'see'
  24. rush — hurry

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