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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. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  2. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  3. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  4. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  5. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  6. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  7. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  8. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  9. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  10. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  11. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  12. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  13. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  14. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  15. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  16. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  17. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  18. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  19. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  20. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  21. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  22. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  23. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  24. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to tire
  2. capital — a big letter
  3. lean — thin
  4. face — to point toward
  5. face — to confront
  6. chip — for betting
  7. capital — a city
  8. present — there
  9. bore — gave birth
  10. lean — to bend
  11. pit — in a race
  12. stick — to attach or keep to
  13. present — a gift
  14. bore — to drill
  15. face — part of the head
  16. capital — money
  17. chip — in a computer
  18. chip — to eat
  19. pit — a hole
  20. lean — to rest against
  21. present — the time now
  22. pit — a fruit stone
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  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