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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: drill · ruler · swing · bay · saw · date · land · temple

  1. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  2. Have you settled on a ________________?
  3. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  4. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  5. My mare is ________________ in color.
  6. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  7. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  8. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  9. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  10. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  11. He works in a ________________ mill.
  12. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  13. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  14. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  15. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  16. When are we going to ________________?
  17. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  18. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  19. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  20. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  21. She's very handy with a ________________.
  22. David sat on the ________________.
  23. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  24. When was this ________________ built?

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

Answer key

  1. drill — the tool
  2. date — on the calendar
  3. swing — in golf
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. bay — a horse colour
  6. swing — music
  7. date — on the calendar
  8. saw — past of 'see'
  9. ruler — a monarch
  10. temple — side of the head
  11. saw — the tool
  12. land — a country
  13. drill — army training
  14. bay — a part of the sea
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. land — to come down
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. date — the fruit
  19. drill — a practice
  20. land — ground
  21. saw — the tool
  22. swing — to play on
  23. bay — to keep at bay
  24. temple — a place of worship

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