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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. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  2. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  3. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  4. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  5. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  6. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  7. Did you ________________ the button?
  8. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  9. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  10. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  11. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  12. That was a fun ________________.
  13. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  14. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  15. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  16. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  17. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  18. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  19. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  20. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  21. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  22. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  23. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  24. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — the bottom
  2. face — part of the head
  3. row — a line
  4. bore — to drill
  5. row — to paddle
  6. press — newspapers
  7. press — to push
  8. stick — to attach or keep to
  9. press — a publisher
  10. game — a kind of play
  11. vault — in gymnastics
  12. game — a match
  13. vault — a safe
  14. bore — to tire
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. game — wild animals
  17. face — to point toward
  18. foot — a measure
  19. foot — part of the body
  20. vault — an arched ceiling
  21. face — to confront
  22. bore — gave birth
  23. row — a quarrel
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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