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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. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  3. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  4. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  5. This piece is in a major ________________.
  6. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  7. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  8. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  9. Where did you ________________ them?
  10. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  11. The ________________ market has crashed.
  12. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  13. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  14. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  15. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  16. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  17. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  18. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  19. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  20. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  21. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  22. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  23. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  24. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.

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

Answer key

  1. face — part of the head
  2. mug — a cup
  3. spring — the season
  4. can — a tin
  5. key — in music
  6. can — to be able to
  7. bore — to drill
  8. snap — to snap out of it
  9. mug — to rob
  10. bore — to tire
  11. stock — shares
  12. stock — goods
  13. face — to point toward
  14. can — a tin
  15. snap — to click
  16. key — for a lock
  17. face — to confront
  18. key — the most important part
  19. mug — a face
  20. spring — of water
  21. spring — a coil
  22. snap — to speak sharply
  23. stock — a soup base
  24. bore — gave birth

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