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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. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  2. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  3. Have you found your soul ________________?
  4. I'll be taking the ________________.
  5. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  6. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  7. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  8. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  9. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  10. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  11. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  12. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  13. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  14. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  15. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  16. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  17. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  18. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  19. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  20. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  21. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  22. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  23. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  24. I'd like to play a game of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — the bottom
  2. bore — to drill
  3. mate — a partner
  4. tube — the underground
  5. march — the month
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. lie — to recline
  8. march — music
  9. mate — to breed
  10. pitch — a sales talk
  11. bore — gave birth
  12. squash — to crush
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. bore — to tire
  15. march — the month
  16. pitch — completely
  17. pitch — a sports field
  18. mate — a friend
  19. foot — a measure
  20. squash — the vegetable
  21. tube — a container
  22. foot — part of the body
  23. tube — in a tire
  24. squash — the sport

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