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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 120 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. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  3. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  4. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  5. What do you think of the new ________________?
  6. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  7. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  8. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  9. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  10. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  11. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  12. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  13. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  14. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  15. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  16. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  17. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  18. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  19. Have you found your soul ________________?
  20. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  21. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  22. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  23. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  24. I got dealt a bad ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to tire
  2. bore — to drill
  3. face — to confront
  4. rule — government
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. face — part of the head
  7. rule — to rule out
  8. net — for catching
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. craft — boats
  11. craft — a skill
  12. hand — help
  13. net — in sport
  14. cabinet — a cupboard
  15. face — to point toward
  16. rule — a law
  17. mate — to breed
  18. bore — gave birth
  19. mate — a partner
  20. craft — a handicraft
  21. mate — a friend
  22. net — after costs
  23. hand — part of the body
  24. hand — in cards

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