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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. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  2. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  3. That must've been a ________________.
  4. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  5. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  6. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  7. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  8. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  9. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  10. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  11. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  12. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  13. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  14. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  15. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  16. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  17. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  18. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  19. The ________________ took off on time.
  20. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  21. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  22. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  23. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  24. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to tire
  2. fine — all right
  3. rush — a thrill
  4. rush — to hurry
  5. rush — hurry
  6. plane — in geometry
  7. bore — gave birth
  8. trunk — of an elephant
  9. kick — in football
  10. mine — an explosive
  11. mine — belonging to me
  12. bore — to drill
  13. fine — a penalty
  14. face — to point toward
  15. mine — for digging
  16. face — part of the head
  17. kick — with a leg
  18. trunk — of a tree
  19. plane — an aircraft
  20. fine — high quality
  21. plane — a tool
  22. kick — a thrill
  23. trunk — of a car
  24. face — to confront

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