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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. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  2. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  3. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  4. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  5. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  6. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  7. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  8. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  9. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  10. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  11. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  12. That was ________________ to happen.
  13. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  14. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  15. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  16. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  17. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  18. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  19. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  20. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  21. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  22. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  23. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  24. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. face — to point toward
  3. rest — a break
  4. fork — to eat with
  5. face — to confront
  6. bound — tied together
  7. face — part of the head
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. row — a quarrel
  10. wake — before a funeral
  11. bore — to tire
  12. bound — certain
  13. row — a line
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. rest — what's left
  16. wake — to stop sleeping
  17. fork — a garden tool
  18. bore — gave birth
  19. wake — a trail
  20. bound — obliged
  21. row — to paddle
  22. bore — to drill
  23. fan — to cool the air
  24. fork — in a road

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