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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. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  2. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  3. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  4. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  5. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  6. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  7. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  8. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  9. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  10. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  11. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  12. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  13. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  14. It's one o'clock ________________.
  15. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  16. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  17. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  18. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  19. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  20. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  21. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  22. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  23. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  24. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — a penalty
  2. sharp — clever
  3. march — the month
  4. fine — all right
  5. bore — to drill
  6. fine — high quality
  7. stem — of a plant
  8. face — to confront
  9. sharp — with an edge
  10. march — the month
  11. vault — in gymnastics
  12. face — to point toward
  13. shower — rain
  14. sharp — exactly
  15. vault — a safe
  16. vault — an arched ceiling
  17. shower — a meteor shower
  18. shower — to wash
  19. stem — to come from
  20. stem — a stem cell
  21. march — music
  22. face — part of the head
  23. bore — to tire
  24. bore — gave birth

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