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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. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  2. The ________________ went through the wall.
  3. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  4. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  5. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  6. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  7. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  8. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  9. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  10. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  11. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  12. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  13. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  14. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  15. That must've been a ________________.
  16. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  17. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  18. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  19. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  20. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  21. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  22. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  23. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  24. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to tire
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. face — part of the head
  4. face — to point toward
  5. bore — to drill
  6. field — for sport
  7. cap — a hat
  8. club — for dancing
  9. nail — on a finger
  10. cap — of ice
  11. bass — the instrument
  12. bass — low music
  13. rush — hurry
  14. field — farmland
  15. rush — a thrill
  16. bore — gave birth
  17. club — a group
  18. face — to confront
  19. field — a subject
  20. club — for golf
  21. rush — to hurry
  22. bass — the fish
  23. cap — a lid
  24. nail — for a hammer

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