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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. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  2. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  3. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  4. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  5. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  6. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  7. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  8. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  9. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  10. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  11. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  12. There's no middle ________________.
  13. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  14. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  15. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  16. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  17. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  18. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  19. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  20. The ________________ went through the wall.
  21. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  22. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  23. The King held a masked ________________.
  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. ball — a great time
  2. ground — the earth
  3. nail — on a finger
  4. face — part of the head
  5. face — to point toward
  6. rock — music
  7. staff — employees
  8. bore — gave birth
  9. staff — employees
  10. bore — to drill
  11. ground — crushed
  12. ground — a position
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. staff — a stick
  15. rock — a stone
  16. ball — a round shape
  17. race — a contest
  18. race — the arms race
  19. race — humankind
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. rock — to move gently
  22. bore — to tire
  23. ball — a dance
  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