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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. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  2. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  3. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  4. He was locked up in a ________________.
  5. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  6. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  7. I'll be taking the ________________.
  8. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  9. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  10. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  11. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  12. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  13. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  14. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  15. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  16. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  17. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  18. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  19. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  20. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  21. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  22. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  23. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  24. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to drill
  2. bass — low music
  3. bore — gave birth
  4. cell — in a prison
  5. racket — a loud noise
  6. cell — a phone
  7. tube — the underground
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. fine — all right
  10. hide — animal skin
  11. face — to point toward
  12. tube — in a tire
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. face — to confront
  15. bass — the instrument
  16. bass — the fish
  17. bore — to tire
  18. cell — in biology
  19. face — part of the head
  20. tube — a container
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. fine — high quality
  24. fine — a penalty

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