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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. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  2. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  3. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  4. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  5. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  6. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  7. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  8. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  9. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  10. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  11. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  12. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  13. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  14. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  15. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  16. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  17. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  18. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  19. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  20. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  21. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  22. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  23. The water is too ________________.
  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. bore — to drill
  2. chip — to eat
  3. face — to point toward
  4. pitch — a sales talk
  5. cold — the Cold War
  6. lean — to bend
  7. bore — gave birth
  8. pitch — a sports field
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. foot — the bottom
  12. lean — to rest against
  13. cold — an illness
  14. face — part of the head
  15. chip — in a computer
  16. foot — a measure
  17. pitch — completely
  18. foot — part of the body
  19. lean — thin
  20. bore — to tire
  21. chip — for betting
  22. lie — to recline
  23. cold — not warm
  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