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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. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  3. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  4. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  5. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  6. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  7. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  8. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  9. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  10. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  11. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  12. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  13. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  14. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  15. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  16. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  17. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  18. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  19. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  20. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  21. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  22. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  23. It's one o'clock ________________.
  24. The train ________________ at six o'clock.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to tire
  2. sharp — with an edge
  3. rest — what's left
  4. bore — to drill
  5. leaves — of a tree
  6. mark — a grade
  7. deal — a big deal
  8. leaves — lets stay
  9. mark — to pay attention
  10. rest — a break
  11. cap — a hat
  12. cap — of ice
  13. rest — what's left
  14. mark — a trace
  15. bass — the fish
  16. deal — an agreement
  17. sharp — clever
  18. bass — the instrument
  19. cap — a lid
  20. deal — to handle
  21. bore — gave birth
  22. bass — low music
  23. sharp — exactly
  24. leaves — to go away

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