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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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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: bat · bore · lash · drill · rest · firm · stem · temple

  1. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  2. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  3. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  4. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  5. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  6. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  7. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  8. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  9. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  10. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  11. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  12. When was this ________________ built?
  13. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  14. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  15. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  16. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  17. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  18. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  19. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  20. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  21. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  22. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  23. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  24. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. firm — steady
  3. bore — to drill
  4. lash — to lash out
  5. lash — an eyelash
  6. bore — gave birth
  7. rest — what's left
  8. drill — a practice
  9. stem — a stem cell
  10. rest — a break
  11. drill — army training
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. temple — side of the head
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. stem — of a plant
  16. bore — to tire
  17. drill — the tool
  18. stem — to come from
  19. bat — for baseball
  20. firm — a company
  21. firm — decided
  22. bat — the animal
  23. lash — a whip stroke
  24. bat — in an idiom

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