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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: toast · mate · bay · temple · arm · band · drill · bore

  1. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  2. When was this ________________ built?
  3. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  4. Have you found your soul ________________?
  5. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  6. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  7. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  8. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  9. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  10. My father caught me by the ________________.
  11. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  12. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  13. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  14. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  15. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  16. My mare is ________________ in color.
  17. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  18. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  19. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  20. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  21. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  22. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  23. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  24. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — the tool
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. bay — a part of the sea
  4. mate — a partner
  5. toast — the most admired
  6. toast — bread
  7. bore — to tire
  8. drill — army training
  9. drill — a practice
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. band — a ring
  12. mate — to breed
  13. bay — to keep at bay
  14. mate — a friend
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. bay — a horse colour
  17. bore — gave birth
  18. band — a music group
  19. arm — a part of something
  20. bore — to drill
  21. band — a rubber band
  22. temple — side of the head
  23. toast — a drink to someone
  24. temple — a place of worship

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