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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 116 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. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  2. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  3. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  4. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  5. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  6. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  7. False peace will not ________________.
  8. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  9. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  10. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  11. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  12. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  13. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  14. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  15. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  16. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  17. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  18. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  19. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  20. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  21. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  22. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  23. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  24. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — gave birth
  2. face — to confront
  3. can — a tin
  4. bear — to put up with
  5. last — final
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. last — to go on
  8. spring — the season
  9. bore — to tire
  10. spring — a coil
  11. last — finally
  12. face — to point toward
  13. can — a tin
  14. current — happening now
  15. current — of water
  16. spring — of water
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. bear — the animal
  19. racket — a loud noise
  20. face — part of the head
  21. can — to be able to
  22. current — electric
  23. bore — to drill
  24. bear — 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