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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. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  2. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  3. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  4. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  5. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  6. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  7. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  8. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  9. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  10. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  11. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  12. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  13. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  14. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  15. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  16. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  17. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  18. The ________________ market has crashed.
  19. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  20. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  21. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  22. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  23. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  24. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to drill
  2. face — to confront
  3. pitch — a sales talk
  4. dip — to sink
  5. object — an aim
  6. rock — to move gently
  7. face — part of the head
  8. stock — goods
  9. object — a thing
  10. dip — to dunk
  11. rock — a stone
  12. dip — a sauce
  13. bore — to tire
  14. wind — to turn a key
  15. bore — gave birth
  16. wind — moving air
  17. stock — a soup base
  18. stock — shares
  19. pitch — completely
  20. face — to point toward
  21. rock — music
  22. pitch — a sports field
  23. wind — moving air
  24. object — to protest

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