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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. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  2. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  3. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  4. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  5. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  6. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  7. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  8. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  9. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  10. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  11. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  12. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  13. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  14. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  15. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  16. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  17. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  18. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  19. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  20. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  21. The ________________ took off on time.
  22. That was ________________ to happen.
  23. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  24. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to drill
  2. prune — to trim
  3. prune — the fruit
  4. bound — obliged
  5. plane — in geometry
  6. face — part of the head
  7. snap — to snap out of it
  8. bore — gave birth
  9. face — to confront
  10. snap — to click
  11. face — to point toward
  12. dip — to dunk
  13. dip — a sauce
  14. bound — tied together
  15. prune — to trim
  16. bore — to tire
  17. plane — a tool
  18. fan — to cool the air
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. snap — to speak sharply
  21. plane — an aircraft
  22. bound — certain
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. dip — to sink

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