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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: drill · hide · wound · bore · temple · content · lie · date

  1. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  2. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  3. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  4. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  5. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  6. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  7. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  8. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  9. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  10. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  11. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  12. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  13. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  14. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  15. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  16. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  17. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  18. When was this ________________ built?
  19. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  20. Have you settled on a ________________?
  21. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  22. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  23. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  24. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. drill — a practice
  4. wound — an injury
  5. bore — to tire
  6. date — on the calendar
  7. content — the amount
  8. content — happy
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. bore — to drill
  11. date — the fruit
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. content — videos and posts
  14. lie — to recline
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. temple — side of the head
  17. hide — animal skin
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. drill — army training
  20. date — on the calendar
  21. wound — past of 'wind'
  22. drill — the tool
  23. bore — gave birth
  24. wound — an injury

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