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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. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  2. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  3. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  4. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  5. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  6. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  7. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  8. My father caught me by the ________________.
  9. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  10. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  11. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  12. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  13. I'll be taking the ________________.
  14. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  15. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  16. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  17. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  18. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  19. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  20. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  21. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  22. Don't do anything ________________.
  23. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  24. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.

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 drill
  3. bowl — to roll
  4. bore — to tire
  5. chair — to sit on
  6. dip — to dunk
  7. tube — a container
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. dip — to sink
  11. tube — in a tire
  12. bowl — a dish
  13. tube — the underground
  14. rash — on the skin
  15. face — to point toward
  16. chair — a professorship
  17. rash — a series
  18. arm — a part of something
  19. face — to confront
  20. dip — a sauce
  21. bowl — a football final
  22. rash — hasty
  23. bore — gave birth
  24. chair — a leader

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