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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: bat · bore · face · temple · bound · hand · rash · kick

  1. When was this ________________ built?
  2. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  3. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  4. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  5. Don't do anything ________________.
  6. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  7. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  8. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  9. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  10. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  11. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  12. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  13. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  14. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  15. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  16. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  17. That was ________________ to happen.
  18. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  19. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  20. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  21. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  22. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  23. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  24. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — a place of worship
  2. bore — gave birth
  3. rash — on the skin
  4. bat — for baseball
  5. rash — hasty
  6. kick — with a leg
  7. hand — in cards
  8. bore — to tire
  9. bat — the animal
  10. kick — in football
  11. temple — side of the head
  12. bat — in an idiom
  13. bound — obliged
  14. face — to point toward
  15. rash — a series
  16. bound — tied together
  17. bound — certain
  18. face — part of the head
  19. hand — help
  20. hand — part of the body
  21. kick — a thrill
  22. bore — to drill
  23. face — to confront
  24. temple — a place of worship

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