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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. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  2. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  3. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  4. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  5. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  6. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  7. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  8. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  9. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  10. Where did you ________________ them?
  11. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  12. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  13. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  14. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  15. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  16. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  17. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  18. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  19. False peace will not ________________.
  20. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  21. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  22. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  23. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  24. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. can — to be able to
  2. face — to confront
  3. dip — to sink
  4. last — finally
  5. pound — a weight
  6. can — a tin
  7. pound — for dogs
  8. can — a tin
  9. bore — gave birth
  10. mug — to rob
  11. mug — a cup
  12. dip — a sauce
  13. foot — the bottom
  14. face — part of the head
  15. bore — to tire
  16. last — final
  17. dip — to dunk
  18. face — to point toward
  19. last — to go on
  20. foot — a measure
  21. pound — to hit hard
  22. foot — part of the body
  23. mug — a face
  24. bore — to drill

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