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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. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  2. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  3. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  4. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  5. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  6. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  7. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  8. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  9. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  10. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  11. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  12. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  13. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  14. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  15. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  16. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  17. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  18. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  19. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  20. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  21. This piece is in a major ________________.
  22. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  23. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  24. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — a break
  2. bore — to tire
  3. face — to point toward
  4. net — in sport
  5. deal — an agreement
  6. rest — what's left
  7. spring — a coil
  8. face — to confront
  9. net — for catching
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. key — the most important part
  12. spring — the season
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. bore — gave birth
  15. bore — to drill
  16. net — after costs
  17. key — for a lock
  18. racket — a loud noise
  19. deal — a big deal
  20. rest — what's left
  21. key — in music
  22. face — part of the head
  23. spring — of water
  24. deal — to handle

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