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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. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  3. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  4. Have you found your soul ________________?
  5. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  6. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  7. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  8. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  9. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  10. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  11. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  12. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  13. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  14. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  15. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  16. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  17. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  18. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  19. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  20. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  21. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  22. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  23. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  24. I play ________________ in a jazz band.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — gave birth
  2. leaves — of a tree
  3. bore — to drill
  4. mate — a partner
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. fan — to cool the air
  7. face — to point toward
  8. face — part of the head
  9. bore — to tire
  10. object — a thing
  11. leaves — lets stay
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. bass — the fish
  14. race — humankind
  15. bass — low music
  16. object — to protest
  17. mate — a friend
  18. mate — to breed
  19. face — to confront
  20. object — an aim
  21. leaves — to go away
  22. race — the arms race
  23. race — a contest
  24. bass — the instrument

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