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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. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  2. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  3. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  4. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  5. We're almost out of ________________.
  6. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  7. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  8. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  9. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  10. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  11. When will it ________________ you to start?
  12. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  13. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  14. When was this ________________ built?
  15. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  16. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  17. I'll be taking the ________________.
  18. It's one o'clock ________________.
  19. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  20. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  21. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  22. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  23. My mare is ________________ in color.
  24. You don't need to ________________ round.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — a place of worship
  2. tube — in a tire
  3. sharp — with an edge
  4. bore — to drill
  5. pop — soda
  6. bay — to keep at bay
  7. wound — an injury
  8. temple — side of the head
  9. bay — a part of the sea
  10. tube — a container
  11. suit — to fit
  12. sharp — clever
  13. wound — past of 'wind'
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. suit — in cards
  16. wound — an injury
  17. tube — the underground
  18. sharp — exactly
  19. bore — gave birth
  20. pop — music
  21. suit — clothes
  22. bore — to tire
  23. bay — a horse colour
  24. pop — to visit

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