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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 120 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 had a strange look on her ________________.
  2. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  3. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  4. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  5. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  6. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  7. How do you ________________ your surname?
  8. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  9. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  10. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  11. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  12. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  13. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  14. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  15. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  16. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  17. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  18. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  19. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  20. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  21. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  22. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  23. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  24. Is it ________________ for us to be here?

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

Answer key

  1. face — part of the head
  2. rest — a break
  3. mine — an explosive
  4. club — for dancing
  5. club — for golf
  6. foot — the bottom
  7. spell — letters
  8. bore — gave birth
  9. rest — what's left
  10. foot — part of the body
  11. safe — a strongbox
  12. spell — magic
  13. bore — to drill
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. bore — to tire
  16. mine — for digging
  17. foot — a measure
  18. mine — belonging to me
  19. face — to confront
  20. club — a group
  21. rest — what's left
  22. face — to point toward
  23. spell — a short time
  24. safe — out of danger

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