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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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 · pass · spell · lash · last · bore · drill · coach

  1. How do you ________________ your surname?
  2. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  3. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  4. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  5. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  6. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  7. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  8. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  9. Have you met the new head ________________?
  10. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  11. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  12. False peace will not ________________.
  13. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  14. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  15. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  16. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  17. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  18. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  19. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  20. When was this ________________ built?
  21. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  22. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  23. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  24. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — letters
  2. bore — gave birth
  3. spell — a short time
  4. lash — an eyelash
  5. temple — side of the head
  6. bore — to tire
  7. pass — to succeed
  8. lash — a whip stroke
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. last — final
  11. drill — a practice
  12. last — to go on
  13. pass — to spend time
  14. bore — to drill
  15. drill — army training
  16. lash — to lash out
  17. coach — pulled by horses
  18. drill — the tool
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. last — finally
  22. pass — a permit
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. spell — magic

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