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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 ________________ went through the wall.
  3. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  4. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  5. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  6. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  7. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  8. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  9. I've got to change the light ________________.
  10. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  11. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  12. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  13. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  14. The light ________________ burned out.
  15. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  16. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  17. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  18. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  19. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  20. He is an ace ________________.
  21. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  22. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  23. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  24. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to confront
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. bulb — of a plant
  4. bat — for baseball
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. bat — in an idiom
  7. mark — a grade
  8. bat — the animal
  9. bulb — for light
  10. chest — a box
  11. bore — gave birth
  12. chest — of your body
  13. face — to point toward
  14. bulb — for light
  15. chest — of your body
  16. face — part of the head
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. mark — to pay attention
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. pitcher — in baseball
  21. bore — to drill
  22. nail — on a finger
  23. bore — to tire
  24. mark — a trace

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