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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. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  2. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  3. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  4. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  5. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  6. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  7. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  8. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  9. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  10. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  11. Have you met the new head ________________?
  12. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  13. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  14. The tickets are free of ________________.
  15. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  16. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  17. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  18. Where did you ________________ them?
  19. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  20. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  21. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  22. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  23. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  24. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — gave birth
  2. mug — a cup
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. face — to point toward
  5. present — a gift
  6. face — to confront
  7. pound — for dogs
  8. charge — electricity
  9. file — a document
  10. mug — a face
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. coach — pulled by horses
  13. pound — to hit hard
  14. charge — a price
  15. charge — in control
  16. present — there
  17. file — a line of people
  18. mug — to rob
  19. face — part of the head
  20. bore — to tire
  21. present — the time now
  22. file — a tool
  23. pound — a weight
  24. bore — to drill

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