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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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
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: nail · mate · chair · lean · temple · mine · bore · game

  1. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  2. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  3. Have you found your soul ________________?
  4. The ________________ went through the wall.
  5. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  6. That was a fun ________________.
  7. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  8. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  9. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  10. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  11. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  12. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  13. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  14. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  15. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  16. When was this ________________ built?
  17. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  18. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  19. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  20. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  21. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  22. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  23. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  24. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a kind of play
  2. game — wild animals
  3. mate — a partner
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. lean — to rest against
  6. game — a match
  7. mate — a friend
  8. mate — to breed
  9. mine — belonging to me
  10. bore — gave birth
  11. lean — to bend
  12. lean — thin
  13. bore — to drill
  14. mine — an explosive
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. chair — to sit on
  18. mine — for digging
  19. chair — a leader
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. bore — to tire
  22. nail — on a finger
  23. temple — side of the head
  24. chair — a professorship

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