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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. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  3. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  4. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  5. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  6. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  7. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  8. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  9. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  10. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  11. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  12. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  13. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  14. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  15. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  16. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  17. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  18. She's very handy with a ________________.
  19. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  20. He works in a ________________ mill.
  21. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  22. What do you think of the new ________________?
  23. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  24. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — gave birth
  2. face — part of the head
  3. bass — low music
  4. cap — a lid
  5. face — to point toward
  6. bass — the fish
  7. face — to confront
  8. cap — of ice
  9. bass — the instrument
  10. cap — a hat
  11. bear — the animal
  12. bore — to drill
  13. scale — in music
  14. bear — the animal
  15. saw — past of 'see'
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. cabinet — a cupboard
  18. saw — the tool
  19. scale — for weighing
  20. saw — the tool
  21. bore — to tire
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. bear — to put up with
  24. scale — size or range

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