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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: bore · saw · pass · temple · last · lie · board · tear

  1. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  2. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  3. When was this ________________ built?
  4. He works in a ________________ mill.
  5. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  6. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  7. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  8. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  9. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  10. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  11. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  12. She's very handy with a ________________.
  13. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  14. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  15. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  16. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  17. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  18. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  19. False peace will not ________________.
  20. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  21. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  22. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  23. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  24. At ________________, we arrived at the village.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — gave birth
  2. saw — past of 'see'
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. saw — the tool
  5. bore — to drill
  6. pass — a permit
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. lie — to recline
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. board — a committee
  12. saw — the tool
  13. tear — from crying
  14. pass — to spend time
  15. last — final
  16. board — to get on
  17. pass — to succeed
  18. tear — to rip
  19. last — to go on
  20. bore — to tire
  21. board — a flat piece
  22. tear — from crying
  23. temple — side of the head
  24. last — finally

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