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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. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  2. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  3. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  4. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  5. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  6. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  7. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  8. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  9. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  10. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  11. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  12. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  13. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  14. David sat on the ________________.
  15. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  16. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  17. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  18. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  19. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  20. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  21. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  22. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  23. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  24. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to tire
  2. firm — steady
  3. deal — to handle
  4. firm — a company
  5. object — a thing
  6. object — to protest
  7. spring — of water
  8. face — part of the head
  9. bear — to put up with
  10. bore — gave birth
  11. bear — the animal
  12. spring — the season
  13. object — an aim
  14. swing — to play on
  15. firm — decided
  16. deal — an agreement
  17. swing — music
  18. face — to confront
  19. face — to point toward
  20. bear — the animal
  21. spring — a coil
  22. bore — to drill
  23. swing — in golf
  24. deal — a big deal

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