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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: mug · object · cabinet · sharp · temple · bore · spring · game

  1. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  2. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  3. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  4. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  5. What do you think of the new ________________?
  6. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  7. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  8. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  9. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  10. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  11. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  12. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  13. It's one o'clock ________________.
  14. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  15. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  16. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  17. That was a fun ________________.
  18. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  19. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  20. Where did you ________________ them?
  21. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  22. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  23. When was this ________________ built?
  24. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. object — to protest
  4. game — wild animals
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. temple — side of the head
  7. bore — to tire
  8. sharp — with an edge
  9. sharp — clever
  10. cabinet — a cupboard
  11. object — an aim
  12. object — a thing
  13. sharp — exactly
  14. spring — a coil
  15. game — a kind of play
  16. bore — to drill
  17. game — a match
  18. bore — gave birth
  19. mug — a cup
  20. mug — to rob
  21. spring — the season
  22. spring — of water
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. mug — a face

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