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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. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  2. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  3. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  4. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  5. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  6. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  7. The light ________________ burned out.
  8. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  9. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  10. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  11. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  12. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  13. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  14. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  15. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  16. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  17. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  18. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  19. I've got to change the light ________________.
  20. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  21. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  22. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  23. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  24. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — a trail
  2. mouse — for a computer
  3. face — to confront
  4. face — to point toward
  5. wake — to stop sleeping
  6. bore — to drill
  7. bulb — for light
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. shower — to wash
  10. chip — to eat
  11. bulb — of a plant
  12. chip — for betting
  13. chip — in a computer
  14. face — part of the head
  15. bore — gave birth
  16. bank — for money
  17. shower — rain
  18. wake — before a funeral
  19. bulb — for light
  20. bank — of a river
  21. bank — for money
  22. shower — a meteor shower
  23. bore — to tire
  24. mouse — the animal

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