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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. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  2. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  3. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  4. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  5. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  6. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  7. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  8. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  9. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  10. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  11. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  12. When will it ________________ you to start?
  13. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  14. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  15. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  16. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  17. David sat on the ________________.
  18. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  19. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  20. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  21. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  22. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  23. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  24. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to tire
  2. face — to confront
  3. suit — clothes
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. capital — a big letter
  6. stick — to attach or keep to
  7. fall — to drop
  8. fall — to drop
  9. vault — an arched ceiling
  10. swing — music
  11. swing — in golf
  12. suit — to fit
  13. fall — the season
  14. bore — to drill
  15. suit — in cards
  16. face — to point toward
  17. swing — to play on
  18. capital — money
  19. face — part of the head
  20. vault — a safe
  21. vault — in gymnastics
  22. bore — gave birth
  23. capital — a city
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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