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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 had a strange look on her ________________.
  2. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  3. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  4. Don't do anything ________________.
  5. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  6. When are we going to ________________?
  7. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  8. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  9. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  10. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  11. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  12. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  13. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  14. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  15. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  16. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  17. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  18. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  19. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  20. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  21. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  22. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  23. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  24. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. face — part of the head
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. stick — to attach or keep to
  4. rash — hasty
  5. bore — to tire
  6. land — to come down
  7. rash — a series
  8. vault — in gymnastics
  9. bass — the fish
  10. land — a country
  11. hide — animal skin
  12. face — to confront
  13. face — to point toward
  14. vault — a safe
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. bore — gave birth
  17. vault — an arched ceiling
  18. rash — on the skin
  19. bass — low music
  20. bore — to drill
  21. bass — the instrument
  22. land — ground
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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