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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: temple · cap · fall · mouse · bass · wound · key · bore

  1. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  2. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  3. When was this ________________ built?
  4. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  5. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  6. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  7. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  8. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  9. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  10. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  11. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  12. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  13. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  14. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  15. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  16. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  17. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  18. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  19. This piece is in a major ________________.
  20. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  21. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  22. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  23. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  24. Hard work is the ________________ to success.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to tire
  2. wound — an injury
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. bore — to drill
  5. wound — past of 'wind'
  6. key — for a lock
  7. bass — low music
  8. fall — to drop
  9. fall — to drop
  10. mouse — for a computer
  11. cap — a hat
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. bass — the fish
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. temple — side of the head
  17. cap — of ice
  18. cap — a lid
  19. key — in music
  20. bass — the instrument
  21. fall — the season
  22. wound — an injury
  23. bore — gave birth
  24. key — the most important part

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