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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 120 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: spell · fall · saw · cue · bore · temple · track · lean

  1. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  2. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  3. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  4. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  5. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  6. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  7. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  8. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  9. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  10. How do you ________________ your surname?
  11. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  12. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  13. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  14. She's very handy with a ________________.
  15. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  16. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  17. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  18. When was this ________________ built?
  19. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  20. He works in a ________________ mill.
  21. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  22. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  23. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  24. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. lean — thin
  3. bore — to drill
  4. cue — for pool
  5. lean — to bend
  6. spell — magic
  7. track — to keep track
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. cue — a signal
  10. spell — letters
  11. fall — to drop
  12. temple — side of the head
  13. bore — gave birth
  14. saw — the tool
  15. spell — a short time
  16. cue — a hint
  17. bore — to tire
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. lean — to rest against
  20. saw — the tool
  21. track — a path
  22. fall — the season
  23. saw — past of 'see'
  24. track — a song

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