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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. When was this ________________ built?
  2. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  3. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  4. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  5. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  6. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  7. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  8. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  9. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  10. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  11. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  12. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  13. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  14. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  15. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  16. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  17. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  18. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  19. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  20. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  21. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  22. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  23. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  24. The tickets are free of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — a place of worship
  2. bore — gave birth
  3. prune — the fruit
  4. bore — to drill
  5. lash — to lash out
  6. bore — to tire
  7. prune — to trim
  8. bowl — a football final
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. charge — electricity
  11. bowl — a dish
  12. present — a gift
  13. present — the time now
  14. spring — a coil
  15. present — there
  16. spring — of water
  17. prune — to trim
  18. charge — in control
  19. bowl — to roll
  20. lash — an eyelash
  21. spring — the season
  22. temple — side of the head
  23. lash — a whip stroke
  24. charge — a price

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