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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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  2. There's no middle ________________.
  3. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  4. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  5. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  6. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  7. This piece is in a major ________________.
  8. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  9. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  10. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  11. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  12. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  13. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  14. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  15. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  16. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  17. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  18. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  19. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  20. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  21. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  22. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  23. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  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. rock — music
  2. ground — a position
  3. face — part of the head
  4. ground — the earth
  5. rock — a stone
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. key — in music
  8. face — to confront
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. ground — crushed
  11. wake — to stop sleeping
  12. bat — for baseball
  13. ruler — a monarch
  14. bat — the animal
  15. wake — before a funeral
  16. key — for a lock
  17. bore — to drill
  18. key — the most important part
  19. face — to point toward
  20. bore — gave birth
  21. bore — to tire
  22. wake — a trail
  23. rock — to move gently
  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