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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 ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  2. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  3. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  4. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  5. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  6. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  7. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  8. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  9. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  10. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  11. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  12. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  13. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  14. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  15. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  16. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  17. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  18. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  19. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  20. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  21. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  22. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  23. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  24. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — gave birth
  2. bear — the animal
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. bore — to drill
  5. band — a rubber band
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. can — a tin
  8. face — to point toward
  9. band — a music group
  10. trunk — of an elephant
  11. band — a ring
  12. bear — to put up with
  13. degree — from a university
  14. trunk — of a car
  15. degree — temperature
  16. bore — to tire
  17. can — to be able to
  18. bear — the animal
  19. trunk — of a tree
  20. face — part of the head
  21. degree — an amount
  22. can — a tin
  23. lie — to recline
  24. face — to confront

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