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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: mate · kick · bore · band · date · temple · mark · tear

  1. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  2. When was this ________________ built?
  3. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  4. Have you found your soul ________________?
  5. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  6. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  7. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  8. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  9. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  10. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  11. Have you settled on a ________________?
  12. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  13. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  14. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  15. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  16. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  17. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  18. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  19. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  20. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  21. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  22. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  23. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  24. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?

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

Answer key

  1. bore — gave birth
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. temple — side of the head
  4. mate — a partner
  5. mate — a friend
  6. band — a ring
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. tear — to rip
  9. kick — in football
  10. bore — to drill
  11. date — on the calendar
  12. date — on the calendar
  13. mate — to breed
  14. tear — from crying
  15. band — a rubber band
  16. kick — with a leg
  17. date — the fruit
  18. tear — from crying
  19. mark — to pay attention
  20. mark — a grade
  21. mark — a trace
  22. band — a music group
  23. kick — a thrill
  24. bore — to tire

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