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

Word bank: temple · rule · bore · staff · bat · race

  1. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  2. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  3. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  4. When was this ________________ built?
  5. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  6. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  7. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  8. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  9. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  10. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  11. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  12. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  13. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  14. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  15. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  16. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  17. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  18. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?

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

Answer key

  1. bat — for baseball
  2. bore — to drill
  3. bat — in an idiom
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. temple — side of the head
  6. rule — to rule out
  7. bore — gave birth
  8. staff — employees
  9. rule — a law
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. race — a contest
  12. staff — a stick
  13. race — the arms race
  14. staff — employees
  15. rule — government
  16. race — humankind
  17. bat — the animal
  18. bore — to tire

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