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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: bore · lie · temple · bear · roll · straw · capital · pit

  1. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  2. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  3. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  4. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  5. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  6. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  7. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  8. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  9. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  10. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  11. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  12. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  13. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  14. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  15. We're on a ________________ here.
  16. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  17. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  18. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  19. When was this ________________ built?
  20. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  21. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  22. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  23. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  24. Boris sat near the fire ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — side of the head
  2. pit — a fruit stone
  3. bear — the animal
  4. straw — a straw man
  5. bore — gave birth
  6. lie — to recline
  7. capital — a city
  8. straw — to clutch at straws
  9. bear — to put up with
  10. pit — in a race
  11. roll — a list
  12. bore — to tire
  13. straw — dry grass
  14. bear — the animal
  15. roll — on a roll
  16. roll — a cake
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. bore — to drill
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. capital — money
  23. capital — a big letter
  24. pit — a hole

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