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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: fall · bay · toast · bore · pitcher · temple · kid · mate

  1. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  2. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  3. My mare is ________________ in color.
  4. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  5. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  6. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  7. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  8. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  9. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  10. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  11. He is an ace ________________.
  12. When was this ________________ built?
  13. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  14. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  15. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  16. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  17. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  18. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  19. Have you found your soul ________________?
  20. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  21. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  22. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  23. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  24. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — side of the head
  2. kid — to tease
  3. bay — a horse colour
  4. bore — gave birth
  5. fall — to drop
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. mate — a friend
  8. fall — the season
  9. bore — to drill
  10. fall — to drop
  11. pitcher — in baseball
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. toast — a drink to someone
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. bore — to tire
  16. bay — to keep at bay
  17. toast — the most admired
  18. kid — child
  19. mate — a partner
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. toast — bread
  22. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  23. mate — to breed
  24. bay — a part of the sea

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