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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. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  2. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  3. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  4. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  5. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  6. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  7. He works in a ________________ mill.
  8. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  9. That was a fun ________________.
  10. That must've been a ________________.
  11. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  12. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  13. What do you think of the new ________________?
  14. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  15. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  16. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  17. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  18. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  19. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  20. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  21. She's very handy with a ________________.
  22. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  23. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  24. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to point toward
  2. cabinet — a cupboard
  3. fall — to drop
  4. track — a path
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. rush — hurry
  7. saw — the tool
  8. fall — to drop
  9. game — a match
  10. rush — a thrill
  11. saw — past of 'see'
  12. game — a kind of play
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. game — wild animals
  15. track — to keep track
  16. track — a song
  17. bore — gave birth
  18. face — part of the head
  19. rush — to hurry
  20. bore — to tire
  21. saw — the tool
  22. face — to confront
  23. bore — to drill
  24. fall — the season

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