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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. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  2. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  3. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  4. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  5. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  6. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  7. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  8. The ________________ went through the wall.
  9. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  10. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  11. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  12. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  13. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  14. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  15. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  16. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  17. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  18. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  19. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  20. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  21. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  22. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  23. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  24. He has no idea where the ________________ is.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — to wash
  2. face — to confront
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. bowl — a dish
  5. bowl — a football final
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. shower — rain
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. track — a song
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. track — a path
  12. deal — a big deal
  13. face — part of the head
  14. bowl — to roll
  15. deal — an agreement
  16. track — to keep track
  17. bore — to tire
  18. face — to point toward
  19. shower — a meteor shower
  20. deal — to handle
  21. nail — on a finger
  22. bore — to drill
  23. bore — gave birth
  24. safe — a strongbox

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