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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: bay · rest · clip · safe · field · dip · bore · temple

  1. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  2. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  3. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  4. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  5. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  6. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  7. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  8. When was this ________________ built?
  9. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  10. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  11. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  12. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  13. My mare is ________________ in color.
  14. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  15. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  16. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  17. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  18. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  19. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  20. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  21. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  22. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  23. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  24. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to tire
  2. rest — what's left
  3. field — for sport
  4. bore — to drill
  5. dip — to sink
  6. dip — a sauce
  7. rest — what's left
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. temple — side of the head
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. field — farmland
  12. clip — for paper
  13. bay — a horse colour
  14. bay — to keep at bay
  15. bay — a part of the sea
  16. field — a subject
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. rest — a break
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. bore — gave birth
  21. clip — to cut
  22. safe — a strongbox
  23. clip — a video
  24. dip — to dunk

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