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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. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  2. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  3. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  4. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  5. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  6. It's one o'clock ________________.
  7. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  8. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  9. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  10. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  11. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  12. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  13. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  14. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  15. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  16. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  17. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  18. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  19. My father caught me by the ________________.
  20. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  21. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  22. I'll be taking the ________________.
  23. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  24. He's quite ________________, isn't he?

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

Answer key

  1. bore — gave birth
  2. face — part of the head
  3. net — for catching
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. bore — to drill
  6. sharp — exactly
  7. march — music
  8. bore — to tire
  9. staff — employees
  10. net — after costs
  11. march — the month
  12. staff — employees
  13. arm — a part of something
  14. net — in sport
  15. staff — a stick
  16. sharp — with an edge
  17. tube — a container
  18. march — the month
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. face — to point toward
  21. face — to confront
  22. tube — the underground
  23. tube — in a tire
  24. sharp — clever

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