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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. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  2. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  3. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  4. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  5. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  6. False peace will not ________________.
  7. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  8. The ________________ took off on time.
  9. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  10. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  11. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  12. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  13. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  14. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  15. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  16. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  17. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  18. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  19. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  20. We're almost out of ________________.
  21. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  22. You don't need to ________________ round.
  23. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  24. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?

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

Answer key

  1. bore — gave birth
  2. last — finally
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. bore — to drill
  6. last — to go on
  7. last — final
  8. plane — an aircraft
  9. plane — a tool
  10. lie — to recline
  11. object — to protest
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. plane — in geometry
  14. face — part of the head
  15. face — to confront
  16. fan — to cool the air
  17. object — an aim
  18. face — to point toward
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. pop — soda
  21. pop — music
  22. pop — to visit
  23. object — a thing
  24. bore — to tire

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