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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. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  2. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  3. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  4. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  5. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  6. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  7. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  8. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  9. The tickets are free of ________________.
  10. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  11. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  12. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  13. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  14. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  15. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  16. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  17. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  18. That was ________________ to happen.
  19. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  20. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  21. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  22. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  23. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  24. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — gave birth
  2. face — part of the head
  3. cap — of ice
  4. field — a subject
  5. charge — in control
  6. dip — a sauce
  7. rule — government
  8. cap — a hat
  9. charge — a price
  10. bound — tied together
  11. face — to confront
  12. bore — to tire
  13. charge — electricity
  14. cap — a lid
  15. dip — to sink
  16. bore — to drill
  17. rule — a law
  18. bound — certain
  19. field — for sport
  20. rule — to rule out
  21. bound — obliged
  22. dip — to dunk
  23. face — to point toward
  24. field — farmland

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