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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 · mug · kid · temple · foot · pass · chip · drill

  1. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  2. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  3. Where did you ________________ them?
  4. When was this ________________ built?
  5. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  6. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  7. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  8. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  9. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  10. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  11. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  12. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  13. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  14. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  15. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  16. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  17. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  18. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  19. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  20. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  21. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  22. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  23. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  24. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a cup
  2. drill — the tool
  3. mug — to rob
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. foot — the bottom
  6. fall — to drop
  7. foot — a measure
  8. fall — to drop
  9. foot — part of the body
  10. drill — army training
  11. pass — a permit
  12. kid — child
  13. mug — a face
  14. chip — for betting
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. temple — side of the head
  17. chip — to eat
  18. fall — the season
  19. chip — in a computer
  20. drill — a practice
  21. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  22. pass — to spend time
  23. kid — to tease
  24. pass — to succeed

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