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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 116 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. When will it ________________ you to start?
  2. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  3. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  4. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  5. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  6. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  7. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  8. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  9. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  10. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  11. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  12. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  13. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  14. We're almost out of ________________.
  15. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  16. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  17. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  18. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  19. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  20. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  21. You don't need to ________________ round.
  22. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  23. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  24. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — to fit
  2. face — to point toward
  3. band — a ring
  4. bore — to tire
  5. suit — clothes
  6. band — a rubber band
  7. pop — music
  8. face — to confront
  9. band — a music group
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. hide — animal skin
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. face — part of the head
  14. pop — soda
  15. branch — of a bank
  16. branch — a division
  17. suit — in cards
  18. bore — gave birth
  19. shower — a meteor shower
  20. shower — to wash
  21. pop — to visit
  22. bore — to drill
  23. shower — rain
  24. branch — of a tree

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