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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: key · bay · cabinet · lean · mine · temple · drill · mate

  1. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  2. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  3. Have you found your soul ________________?
  4. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  5. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  6. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  7. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  8. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  9. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  10. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  11. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  12. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  13. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  14. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  15. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  16. This piece is in a major ________________.
  17. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  18. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  19. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  20. My mare is ________________ in color.
  21. When was this ________________ built?
  22. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  23. What do you think of the new ________________?
  24. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a part of the sea
  2. lean — to rest against
  3. mate — a partner
  4. mine — an explosive
  5. lean — to bend
  6. drill — a practice
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. drill — army training
  9. key — the most important part
  10. mine — for digging
  11. key — for a lock
  12. drill — the tool
  13. cabinet — a cupboard
  14. mate — to breed
  15. lean — thin
  16. key — in music
  17. mate — a friend
  18. bay — to keep at bay
  19. temple — side of the head
  20. bay — a horse colour
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. mine — belonging to me
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. cabinet — ministers

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