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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. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  2. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  3. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  4. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  5. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  6. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  7. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  8. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  9. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  10. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  11. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  12. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  13. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  14. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  15. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  16. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  17. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  18. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  19. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  20. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  21. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  22. When will it ________________ you to start?
  23. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  24. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. face — part of the head
  2. fan — to cool the air
  3. object — an aim
  4. bore — gave birth
  5. object — a thing
  6. bark — a dog's sound
  7. row — a line
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. bark — to shout
  10. face — to confront
  11. club — for dancing
  12. club — a group
  13. suit — clothes
  14. bark — of a tree
  15. face — to point toward
  16. row — to paddle
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. club — for golf
  19. bore — to tire
  20. bore — to drill
  21. row — a quarrel
  22. suit — to fit
  23. object — to protest
  24. suit — in cards

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