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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. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  2. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  3. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  4. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  5. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  6. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  7. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  8. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  9. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  10. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  11. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  12. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  13. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  14. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  15. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  16. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  17. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  18. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  19. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  20. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  21. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  22. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  23. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  24. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. face — to confront
  3. band — a rubber band
  4. rock — to move gently
  5. dip — to sink
  6. mine — an explosive
  7. rock — a stone
  8. bore — gave birth
  9. dip — to dunk
  10. bore — to tire
  11. face — part of the head
  12. band — a ring
  13. mine — belonging to me
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. rock — music
  16. dip — a sauce
  17. face — to point toward
  18. toast — the most admired
  19. hide — animal skin
  20. band — a music group
  21. mine — for digging
  22. bore — to drill
  23. toast — a drink to someone
  24. toast — bread

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