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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. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  2. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  3. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  4. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  5. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  6. My mare is ________________ in color.
  7. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  8. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  9. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  10. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  11. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  12. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  13. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  14. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  15. How do you ________________ your surname?
  16. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  17. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  18. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  19. We're almost out of ________________.
  20. You don't need to ________________ round.
  21. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  22. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  23. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  24. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to point toward
  2. bore — to drill
  3. face — part of the head
  4. pop — music
  5. firm — a company
  6. bay — a horse colour
  7. spell — a short time
  8. stem — to come from
  9. firm — steady
  10. bay — a part of the sea
  11. hand — in cards
  12. bay — to keep at bay
  13. hand — part of the body
  14. hand — help
  15. spell — letters
  16. spell — magic
  17. stem — of a plant
  18. stem — a stem cell
  19. pop — soda
  20. pop — to visit
  21. face — to confront
  22. bore — gave birth
  23. bore — to tire
  24. firm — decided

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