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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: drill · cue · bore · wave · pitch · temple · face · stem

  1. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  2. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  3. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  4. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  5. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  6. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  7. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  8. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  9. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  10. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  11. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  12. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  13. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  14. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  15. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  16. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  17. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  18. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  19. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  20. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  21. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  22. When was this ________________ built?
  23. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  24. She had a strange look on her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to tire
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. bore — gave birth
  4. temple — side of the head
  5. wave — with your hand
  6. stem — a stem cell
  7. pitch — a sports field
  8. cue — a signal
  9. pitch — a sales talk
  10. wave — a sudden rise
  11. bore — to drill
  12. drill — a practice
  13. cue — for pool
  14. stem — of a plant
  15. pitch — completely
  16. wave — of the sea
  17. face — to confront
  18. face — to point toward
  19. drill — army training
  20. stem — to come from
  21. drill — the tool
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. cue — a hint
  24. face — part of the head

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