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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 116 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. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  2. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  3. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  4. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  5. Where did you ________________ them?
  6. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  7. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  8. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  9. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  10. That was ________________ to happen.
  11. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  12. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  13. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  14. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  15. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  16. When are we going to ________________?
  17. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  18. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  19. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  20. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  21. Have you met the new head ________________?
  22. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  23. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  24. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — tied together
  2. bat — the animal
  3. face — to point toward
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. mug — to rob
  6. mug — a face
  7. bound — obliged
  8. bore — gave birth
  9. staff — employees
  10. bound — certain
  11. mug — a cup
  12. face — part of the head
  13. staff — a stick
  14. bore — to tire
  15. land — ground
  16. land — to come down
  17. bore — to drill
  18. coach — pulled by horses
  19. bat — in an idiom
  20. face — to confront
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. land — a country
  23. staff — employees
  24. bat — for baseball

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