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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 116 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. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  3. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  4. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  5. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  6. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  7. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  8. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  9. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  10. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  11. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  12. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  13. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  14. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  15. I'll be taking the ________________.
  16. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  17. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  18. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  19. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  20. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  21. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  22. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  23. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  24. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to tire
  2. can — to be able to
  3. bore — to drill
  4. face — to confront
  5. march — the month
  6. march — the month
  7. face — to point toward
  8. rule — a law
  9. lie — to recline
  10. tube — in a tire
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. tube — a container
  13. can — a tin
  14. rule — government
  15. tube — the underground
  16. racket — a loud noise
  17. rule — to rule out
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. bore — gave birth
  20. can — a tin
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. face — part of the head
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. march — music

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