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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. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  2. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  3. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  4. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  5. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  6. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  7. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  8. How do you ________________ your surname?
  9. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  10. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  11. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  12. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  13. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  14. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  15. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  16. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  17. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  18. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  19. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  20. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  21. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  22. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  23. I'll be taking the ________________.
  24. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — a short time
  2. face — part of the head
  3. chip — for betting
  4. face — to confront
  5. vault — an arched ceiling
  6. tube — in a tire
  7. stem — to come from
  8. spell — letters
  9. vault — a safe
  10. bore — to drill
  11. bore — gave birth
  12. tube — a container
  13. stem — a stem cell
  14. spell — magic
  15. rest — a break
  16. stem — of a plant
  17. chip — in a computer
  18. chip — to eat
  19. vault — in gymnastics
  20. face — to point toward
  21. rest — what's left
  22. bore — to tire
  23. tube — the underground
  24. rest — what's left

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