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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. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  2. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  3. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  4. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  5. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  6. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  7. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  8. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  9. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  10. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  11. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  12. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  13. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  14. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  15. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  16. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  17. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  18. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  19. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  20. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  21. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  22. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  23. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  24. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — the season
  2. face — part of the head
  3. fine — high quality
  4. bore — gave birth
  5. trunk — of an elephant
  6. squash — to crush
  7. bore — to drill
  8. stem — a stem cell
  9. fine — all right
  10. face — to confront
  11. squash — the vegetable
  12. face — to point toward
  13. fall — to drop
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. trunk — of a car
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. perch — the fish
  18. stem — to come from
  19. fall — to drop
  20. stem — of a plant
  21. trunk — of a tree
  22. squash — the sport
  23. bore — to tire
  24. fine — a penalty

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