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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. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  2. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  3. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  4. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  5. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  6. Don't do anything ________________.
  7. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  8. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  9. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  10. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  11. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  12. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  13. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  14. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  15. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  16. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  17. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  18. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  19. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  20. Did you ________________ the meat?
  21. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  22. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  23. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  24. The people resisted their cruel ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. season — of the year
  2. pound — to hit hard
  3. stick — to attach or keep to
  4. bore — to tire
  5. face — to point toward
  6. rash — hasty
  7. face — part of the head
  8. trunk — of an elephant
  9. rash — a series
  10. pound — for dogs
  11. face — to confront
  12. season — in sport
  13. rash — on the skin
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. trunk — of a car
  17. trunk — of a tree
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. bore — to drill
  20. season — to add flavour
  21. bore — gave birth
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. pound — a weight
  24. ruler — a monarch

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