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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: temple · hide · bore · saw · mate · pit · march · prune

  1. When was this ________________ built?
  2. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  3. He works in a ________________ mill.
  4. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  5. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  6. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  7. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  8. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  9. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  10. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  11. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  12. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  13. She's very handy with a ________________.
  14. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  15. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  16. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  17. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  18. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  19. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  20. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  21. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  22. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  23. Have you found your soul ________________?
  24. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.

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 — to drill
  3. saw — the tool
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. pit — a hole
  6. prune — to trim
  7. pit — in a race
  8. pit — a fruit stone
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. mate — a friend
  11. march — music
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. saw — the tool
  14. mate — to breed
  15. prune — the fruit
  16. bore — to tire
  17. march — the month
  18. march — the month
  19. prune — to trim
  20. hide — animal skin
  21. saw — past of 'see'
  22. temple — side of the head
  23. mate — a partner
  24. bore — gave birth

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