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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. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  2. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  3. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  4. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  5. The King held a masked ________________.
  6. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  7. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  8. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  9. How do you ________________ your surname?
  10. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  11. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  12. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  13. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  14. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  15. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  16. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  17. He is an ace ________________.
  18. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  19. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  20. My father caught me by the ________________.
  21. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  22. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  23. The ________________ market has crashed.
  24. She had a strange look on her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to point toward
  2. bore — to drill
  3. stock — a soup base
  4. ball — a round shape
  5. ball — a dance
  6. stock — goods
  7. bore — gave birth
  8. bore — to tire
  9. spell — letters
  10. ball — a great time
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. calf — of the leg
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. arm — a part of something
  15. face — to confront
  16. spell — a short time
  17. pitcher — in baseball
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. spell — magic
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. stock — shares
  24. face — part of the head

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