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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. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  2. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  3. The King held a masked ________________.
  4. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  5. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  6. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  7. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  8. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  9. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  10. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  11. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  12. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  13. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  14. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  15. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  16. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  17. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  18. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  19. When are we going to ________________?
  20. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  21. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  22. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  23. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  24. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a great time
  2. mark — a trace
  3. ball — a dance
  4. mark — a grade
  5. bore — to drill
  6. staff — a stick
  7. mark — to pay attention
  8. bore — to tire
  9. staff — employees
  10. prune — to trim
  11. prune — to trim
  12. ball — a round shape
  13. track — to keep track
  14. track — a path
  15. face — to point toward
  16. track — a song
  17. prune — the fruit
  18. land — ground
  19. land — to come down
  20. face — to confront
  21. land — a country
  22. staff — employees
  23. face — part of the head
  24. bore — gave birth

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