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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. That was a fun ________________.
  2. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  3. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  4. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  5. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  6. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  7. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  8. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  9. The tickets are free of ________________.
  10. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  11. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  12. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  13. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  14. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  15. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  16. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  17. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  18. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  19. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  20. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  21. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  22. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  23. I'll be taking the ________________.
  24. That must've been a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a match
  2. bore — to tire
  3. face — to confront
  4. mark — to pay attention
  5. rush — to hurry
  6. bore — to drill
  7. wave — a sudden rise
  8. tube — in a tire
  9. charge — a price
  10. rush — hurry
  11. mark — a grade
  12. game — a kind of play
  13. mark — a trace
  14. game — wild animals
  15. tube — a container
  16. face — to point toward
  17. wave — of the sea
  18. charge — electricity
  19. face — part of the head
  20. wave — with your hand
  21. bore — gave birth
  22. charge — in control
  23. tube — the underground
  24. rush — a thrill

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