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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. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  2. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  3. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  4. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  5. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  6. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  7. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  8. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  9. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  10. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  11. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  12. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  13. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  14. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  15. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  16. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  17. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  18. That was a fun ________________.
  19. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  20. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  21. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  22. Have you met the new head ________________?
  23. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  24. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — pulled by horses
  2. lie — to recline
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. toast — a drink to someone
  5. firm — steady
  6. spring — the season
  7. face — to confront
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. toast — bread
  10. face — part of the head
  11. face — to point toward
  12. firm — a company
  13. game — a kind of play
  14. bore — gave birth
  15. bore — to tire
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. firm — decided
  18. game — a match
  19. spring — a coil
  20. spring — of water
  21. toast — the most admired
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. game — wild animals
  24. bore — to drill

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