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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. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  2. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  3. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  4. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  5. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  6. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  7. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  8. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  9. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  10. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  11. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  12. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  13. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  14. The tickets are free of ________________.
  15. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  16. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  17. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  18. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  19. Have you found your soul ________________?
  20. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  21. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  22. The ________________ went through the wall.
  23. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  24. The flowers bloom in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a friend
  2. track — to keep track
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. face — to point toward
  5. bore — gave birth
  6. mate — to breed
  7. track — a song
  8. bore — to drill
  9. nail — on a finger
  10. charge — electricity
  11. pit — in a race
  12. spring — a coil
  13. face — to confront
  14. charge — a price
  15. track — a path
  16. face — part of the head
  17. pit — a fruit stone
  18. charge — in control
  19. mate — a partner
  20. spring — of water
  21. bore — to tire
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. pit — a hole
  24. spring — the season

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