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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 116 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. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  2. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  3. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  4. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  5. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  6. The ________________ took off on time.
  7. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  8. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  9. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  10. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  11. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  12. When are we going to ________________?
  13. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  14. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  15. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  16. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  17. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  18. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  19. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  20. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  21. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  22. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  23. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  24. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a hole
  2. bore — to tire
  3. face — part of the head
  4. face — to point toward
  5. present — a gift
  6. plane — an aircraft
  7. stem — a stem cell
  8. face — to confront
  9. stem — of a plant
  10. bore — to drill
  11. plane — a tool
  12. land — to come down
  13. present — there
  14. bore — gave birth
  15. pit — a fruit stone
  16. land — a country
  17. stem — to come from
  18. present — the time now
  19. wave — with your hand
  20. wave — a sudden rise
  21. land — ground
  22. pit — in a race
  23. plane — in geometry
  24. wave — of the sea

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