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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: mouse · drill · bore · content · rush · temple · swing · ground

  1. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  2. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  3. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  4. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  5. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  6. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  7. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  8. When was this ________________ built?
  9. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  10. That must've been a ________________.
  11. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  12. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  13. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  14. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  15. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  16. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  17. There's no middle ________________.
  18. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  19. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  20. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  21. David sat on the ________________.
  22. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  23. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  24. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to tire
  2. drill — a practice
  3. ground — crushed
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. content — the amount
  6. rush — to hurry
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. drill — the tool
  10. rush — a thrill
  11. drill — army training
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. swing — in golf
  14. temple — side of the head
  15. content — videos and posts
  16. ground — the earth
  17. ground — a position
  18. bore — gave birth
  19. mouse — for a computer
  20. swing — music
  21. swing — to play on
  22. bore — to drill
  23. rush — hurry
  24. content — happy

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