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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 ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  2. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  3. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  4. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  5. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  6. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  7. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  8. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  9. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  10. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  11. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  12. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  13. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  14. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  15. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  16. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  17. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  18. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  19. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  20. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  21. When was this ________________ built?
  22. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  23. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  24. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — gave birth
  2. bore — to tire
  3. can — a tin
  4. current — of water
  5. bank — of a river
  6. drill — a practice
  7. current — electric
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. current — happening now
  10. drill — the tool
  11. temple — side of the head
  12. can — to be able to
  13. cap — a hat
  14. bank — for money
  15. drill — army training
  16. cap — a lid
  17. bore — to drill
  18. can — a tin
  19. fall — to drop
  20. cap — of ice
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. fall — the season
  23. fall — to drop
  24. bank — for money

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