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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 120 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. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  2. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  3. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  4. What do you think of the new ________________?
  5. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  6. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  7. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  8. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  9. That must've been a ________________.
  10. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  11. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  12. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  13. He is an ace ________________.
  14. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  15. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  16. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  17. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  18. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  19. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  20. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  21. Have you found your soul ________________?
  22. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  23. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  24. The players ran onto the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to tire
  2. pitch — a sales talk
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. band — a music group
  7. band — a ring
  8. pitch — completely
  9. rush — a thrill
  10. rush — to hurry
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. lie — to recline
  13. pitcher — in baseball
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. band — a rubber band
  16. bore — gave birth
  17. bore — to drill
  18. rush — hurry
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. cabinet — a cupboard
  21. mate — a partner
  22. mate — a friend
  23. mate — to breed
  24. pitch — a sports field

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