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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. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  2. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  3. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  4. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  5. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  6. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  7. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  8. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  9. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  10. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  11. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  12. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  13. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  14. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  15. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  16. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  17. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  18. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  19. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  20. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  21. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  22. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  23. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  24. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a ring
  2. face — to point toward
  3. bear — the animal
  4. bear — the animal
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. band — a music group
  7. face — to confront
  8. face — part of the head
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. lean — to bend
  11. bore — to drill
  12. safe — a strongbox
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. band — a rubber band
  15. board — to get on
  16. lean — thin
  17. bear — to put up with
  18. bore — gave birth
  19. lean — to rest against
  20. board — a committee
  21. racket — a loud noise
  22. board — a flat piece
  23. bore — to tire
  24. safe — out of danger

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