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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 asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  2. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  3. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  4. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  5. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  6. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  7. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  8. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  9. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  10. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  11. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  12. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  13. How do you ________________ your surname?
  14. Where did you ________________ them?
  15. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  16. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  17. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  18. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  19. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  20. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  21. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  22. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  23. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  24. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — magic
  2. hand — part of the body
  3. bore — to drill
  4. pit — a fruit stone
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. face — to confront
  7. bore — to tire
  8. hand — help
  9. face — to point toward
  10. chest — of your body
  11. pit — in a race
  12. mug — a cup
  13. spell — letters
  14. mug — to rob
  15. pit — a hole
  16. bore — gave birth
  17. hand — in cards
  18. spell — a short time
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. mug — a face
  21. face — part of the head
  22. chest — of your body
  23. ruler — a monarch
  24. chest — a box

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