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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. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  2. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  3. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  4. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  5. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  6. The light ________________ burned out.
  7. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  8. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  9. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  10. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  11. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  12. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  13. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  14. I've got to change the light ________________.
  15. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  16. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  17. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  18. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  19. He is an ace ________________.
  20. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  21. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  22. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  23. There's no middle ________________.
  24. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. face — part of the head
  2. bore — gave birth
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. branch — a division
  5. pit — a hole
  6. bulb — for light
  7. pit — in a race
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. staff — employees
  10. pit — a fruit stone
  11. branch — of a bank
  12. branch — of a tree
  13. face — to point toward
  14. bulb — for light
  15. bore — to tire
  16. bore — to drill
  17. ground — the earth
  18. staff — a stick
  19. pitcher — in baseball
  20. bulb — of a plant
  21. face — to confront
  22. ground — crushed
  23. ground — a position
  24. staff — employees

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