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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: ball · band · fine · bore · cell · temple

  1. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  2. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  3. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  4. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  5. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  6. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  7. He was locked up in a ________________.
  8. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  9. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  10. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  11. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  12. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  13. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  14. When was this ________________ built?
  15. The King held a masked ________________.
  16. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  17. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  18. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to drill
  2. temple — side of the head
  3. ball — a round shape
  4. band — a ring
  5. bore — to tire
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. cell — in a prison
  8. bore — gave birth
  9. cell — a phone
  10. cell — in biology
  11. fine — high quality
  12. fine — a penalty
  13. ball — a great time
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. ball — a dance
  16. band — a rubber band
  17. fine — all right
  18. band — a music group

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