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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. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  2. When are we going to ________________?
  3. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  4. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  5. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  6. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  7. I'll be taking the ________________.
  8. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  9. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  10. That must've been a ________________.
  11. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  12. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  13. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  14. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  15. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  16. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  17. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  18. David sat on the ________________.
  19. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  20. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  21. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  22. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  23. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  24. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — to attach or keep to
  2. land — to come down
  3. tube — a container
  4. swing — in golf
  5. land — a country
  6. rush — hurry
  7. tube — the underground
  8. bore — gave birth
  9. bore — to drill
  10. rush — a thrill
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. face — part of the head
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. land — ground
  15. rush — to hurry
  16. face — to confront
  17. racket — a loud noise
  18. swing — to play on
  19. swing — music
  20. bore — to tire
  21. face — to point toward
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. tube — in a tire
  24. racket — for tennis

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