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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 120 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. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  2. That was ________________ to happen.
  3. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  4. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  5. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  6. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  7. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  8. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  9. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  10. The light ________________ burned out.
  11. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  12. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  13. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  14. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  15. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  16. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  17. There's no middle ________________.
  18. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  19. I'll be taking the ________________.
  20. The ________________ went through the wall.
  21. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  22. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  23. I've got to change the light ________________.
  24. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to confront
  2. bound — certain
  3. bound — obliged
  4. face — to point toward
  5. bore — to tire
  6. snap — to snap out of it
  7. ground — the earth
  8. ground — crushed
  9. bulb — of a plant
  10. bulb — for light
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. snap — to click
  13. bore — gave birth
  14. bound — tied together
  15. nail — on a finger
  16. tube — in a tire
  17. ground — a position
  18. bore — to drill
  19. tube — the underground
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. snap — to speak sharply
  22. face — part of the head
  23. bulb — for light
  24. tube — a container

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