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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. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  2. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  3. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  4. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  5. Don't do anything ________________.
  6. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  7. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  8. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  9. Have you met the new head ________________?
  10. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  11. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  12. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  13. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  14. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  15. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  16. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  17. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  18. It's one o'clock ________________.
  19. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  20. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  21. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  22. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  23. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  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. object — a thing
  2. bat — the animal
  3. bore — to drill
  4. rash — a series
  5. rash — hasty
  6. object — an aim
  7. bank — for money
  8. face — part of the head
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. bat — in an idiom
  11. sharp — clever
  12. bank — for money
  13. bat — for baseball
  14. bank — of a river
  15. bore — gave birth
  16. face — to point toward
  17. coach — pulled by horses
  18. sharp — exactly
  19. sharp — with an edge
  20. object — to protest
  21. rash — on the skin
  22. bore — to tire
  23. coach — a trainer
  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