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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. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  3. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  4. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  5. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  6. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  7. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  8. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  9. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  10. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  11. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  12. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  13. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  14. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  15. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  16. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  17. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  18. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  19. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  20. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  21. What do you think of the new ________________?
  22. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  23. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  24. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. face — part of the head
  2. bore — to tire
  3. pit — a hole
  4. present — a gift
  5. bore — to drill
  6. face — to confront
  7. pit — in a race
  8. bore — gave birth
  9. straw — a straw man
  10. file — a document
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. cabinet — a cupboard
  13. file — a tool
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. straw — to clutch at straws
  16. face — to point toward
  17. pit — a fruit stone
  18. straw — dry grass
  19. present — the time now
  20. perch — the fish
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. present — there
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. file — a line of people

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