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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. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  2. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  3. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  4. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  5. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  6. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  7. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  8. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  9. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  10. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  11. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  12. I'll be taking the ________________.
  13. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  14. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  15. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  16. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  17. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  18. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  19. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  20. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  21. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  22. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  23. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  24. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. bore — to tire
  3. tube — a container
  4. leaves — lets stay
  5. can — a tin
  6. bark — a dog's sound
  7. tube — in a tire
  8. face — to confront
  9. leaves — to go away
  10. face — to point toward
  11. bore — gave birth
  12. tube — the underground
  13. bore — to drill
  14. can — a tin
  15. capital — a big letter
  16. bark — to shout
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. face — part of the head
  19. capital — money
  20. can — to be able to
  21. capital — a city
  22. lie — to recline
  23. leaves — of a tree
  24. bark — of a tree

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