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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. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  2. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  3. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  4. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  5. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  6. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  7. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  8. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  9. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  10. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  11. She's very handy with a ________________.
  12. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  13. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  14. My mare is ________________ in color.
  15. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  16. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  17. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  18. He works in a ________________ mill.
  19. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  20. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  21. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  22. That was a fun ________________.
  23. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  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 tire
  2. bore — to drill
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. pitch — a sales talk
  5. saw — past of 'see'
  6. bass — low music
  7. bay — to keep at bay
  8. pitch — a sports field
  9. bass — the instrument
  10. game — wild animals
  11. saw — the tool
  12. face — to point toward
  13. game — a kind of play
  14. bay — a horse colour
  15. bore — gave birth
  16. face — part of the head
  17. lie — to recline
  18. saw — the tool
  19. pitch — completely
  20. bass — the fish
  21. bay — a part of the sea
  22. game — a match
  23. lie — an untruth
  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