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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. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  2. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  3. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  4. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  5. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  6. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  7. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  8. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  9. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  10. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  11. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  12. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  13. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  14. David sat on the ________________.
  15. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  16. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  17. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  18. When will it ________________ you to start?
  19. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  20. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  21. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  22. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  23. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  24. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — in cards
  2. bore — to drill
  3. degree — from a university
  4. face — part of the head
  5. scale — size or range
  6. bore — to tire
  7. chest — of your body
  8. swing — in golf
  9. rule — government
  10. swing — music
  11. rule — a law
  12. chest — of your body
  13. bore — gave birth
  14. swing — to play on
  15. scale — in music
  16. chest — a box
  17. scale — for weighing
  18. suit — to fit
  19. rule — to rule out
  20. degree — an amount
  21. suit — clothes
  22. degree — temperature
  23. face — to point toward
  24. face — to confront

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