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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 124 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. We're on a ________________ here.
  2. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  3. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  4. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  5. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  6. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  7. The water is too ________________.
  8. The tickets are free of ________________.
  9. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  10. He works in a ________________ mill.
  11. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  12. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  13. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  14. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  15. The King held a masked ________________.
  16. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  17. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  18. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  19. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  20. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  21. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  22. She's very handy with a ________________.
  23. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  24. She had a strange look on her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — on a roll
  2. bore — to tire
  3. ball — a great time
  4. foot — the bottom
  5. charge — in control
  6. bore — to drill
  7. cold — not warm
  8. charge — a price
  9. foot — part of the body
  10. saw — the tool
  11. face — to confront
  12. roll — a list
  13. foot — a measure
  14. cold — an illness
  15. ball — a dance
  16. bore — gave birth
  17. saw — past of 'see'
  18. ball — a round shape
  19. roll — a cake
  20. cold — the Cold War
  21. charge — electricity
  22. saw — the tool
  23. face — to point toward
  24. face — part of the head

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