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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 116 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 ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  2. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  3. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  4. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  5. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  6. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  7. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  8. When are we going to ________________?
  9. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  10. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  11. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  12. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  13. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  14. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  15. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  16. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  17. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  18. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  19. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  20. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  21. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  22. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  23. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  24. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — gave birth
  2. bore — to tire
  3. lie — to recline
  4. face — part of the head
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. bore — to drill
  7. hand — help
  8. land — to come down
  9. leaves — of a tree
  10. pound — to hit hard
  11. leaves — to go away
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. pound — a weight
  14. racket — a loud noise
  15. pound — for dogs
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. hand — in cards
  18. leaves — lets stay
  19. land — ground
  20. face — to confront
  21. land — a country
  22. hand — part of the body
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. face — to point toward

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