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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: row · lean · date · can · temple · drill · bore · hand

  1. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  2. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  3. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  4. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  5. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  6. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  7. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  8. Have you settled on a ________________?
  9. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  10. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  11. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  12. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  13. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  14. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  15. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  16. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  17. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  18. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  19. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  20. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  21. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  22. When was this ________________ built?
  23. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  24. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a line
  2. bore — gave birth
  3. can — a tin
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. row — to paddle
  6. hand — part of the body
  7. temple — side of the head
  8. date — on the calendar
  9. drill — army training
  10. hand — help
  11. date — the fruit
  12. lean — to rest against
  13. date — on the calendar
  14. bore — to drill
  15. can — to be able to
  16. hand — in cards
  17. drill — the tool
  18. drill — a practice
  19. lean — thin
  20. row — a quarrel
  21. can — a tin
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. bore — to tire
  24. lean — to bend

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