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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 120 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. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  2. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  3. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  4. It's one o'clock ________________.
  5. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  6. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  7. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  8. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  9. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  10. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  11. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  12. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  13. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  14. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  15. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  16. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  17. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  18. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  19. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  20. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  21. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  22. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  23. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  24. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — a break
  2. bore — to drill
  3. bore — to tire
  4. sharp — exactly
  5. sharp — clever
  6. lie — to recline
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. wake — a trail
  9. wake — before a funeral
  10. rest — what's left
  11. face — part of the head
  12. present — a gift
  13. sharp — with an edge
  14. face — to point toward
  15. rest — what's left
  16. trunk — of a car
  17. face — to confront
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. present — the time now
  20. bore — gave birth
  21. trunk — of a tree
  22. trunk — of an elephant
  23. present — there
  24. wake — to stop sleeping

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