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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. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  2. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  3. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  4. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  5. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  6. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  7. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  8. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  9. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  10. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  11. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  12. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  13. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  14. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  15. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  16. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  17. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  18. Where did you ________________ them?
  19. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  20. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  21. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  22. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  23. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  24. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?

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

Answer key

  1. face — to confront
  2. squash — to crush
  3. foot — part of the body
  4. face — to point toward
  5. foot — the bottom
  6. foot — a measure
  7. track — to keep track
  8. face — part of the head
  9. squash — the sport
  10. net — after costs
  11. track — a path
  12. mug — a cup
  13. bore — to drill
  14. track — a song
  15. net — for catching
  16. bore — gave birth
  17. content — videos and posts
  18. mug — to rob
  19. content — happy
  20. squash — the vegetable
  21. content — the amount
  22. mug — a face
  23. net — in sport
  24. bore — to tire

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