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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. He works in a ________________ mill.
  2. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  3. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  4. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  5. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  6. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  7. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  8. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  9. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  10. She's very handy with a ________________.
  11. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  12. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  13. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  14. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  15. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  16. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  17. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  18. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  19. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  20. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  21. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  22. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  23. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  24. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. wake — to stop sleeping
  3. saw — past of 'see'
  4. wake — before a funeral
  5. squash — the vegetable
  6. capital — a big letter
  7. bore — gave birth
  8. wake — a trail
  9. face — to confront
  10. saw — the tool
  11. bore — to drill
  12. bark — to shout
  13. fall — to drop
  14. bore — to tire
  15. squash — the sport
  16. bark — a dog's sound
  17. fall — to drop
  18. capital — money
  19. capital — a city
  20. bark — of a tree
  21. face — to point toward
  22. face — part of the head
  23. squash — to crush
  24. fall — the season

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