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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 need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  2. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  3. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  4. Where did you ________________ them?
  5. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  6. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  7. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  8. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  9. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  10. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  11. That was ________________ to happen.
  12. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  13. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  14. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  15. When are we going to ________________?
  16. When was this ________________ built?
  17. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  18. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  19. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  20. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  21. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  22. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  23. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  24. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — the tool
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. temple — side of the head
  4. mug — to rob
  5. mug — a cup
  6. drill — a practice
  7. bound — tied together
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. bound — obliged
  10. fan — to cool the air
  11. bound — certain
  12. lie — to recline
  13. land — a country
  14. spring — a coil
  15. land — to come down
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. mug — a face
  18. drill — army training
  19. spring — of water
  20. land — ground
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. spring — the season
  24. fan — a supporter

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