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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. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  2. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  3. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  4. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  5. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  6. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  7. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  8. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  9. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  10. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  11. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  12. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  13. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  14. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  15. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  16. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  17. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  18. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  19. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  20. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  21. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  22. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  23. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  24. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — in music
  2. present — a gift
  3. kid — child
  4. object — to protest
  5. kid — to tease
  6. kick — in football
  7. present — there
  8. bore — to tire
  9. face — to point toward
  10. fine — all right
  11. scale — size or range
  12. present — the time now
  13. fine — high quality
  14. kick — a thrill
  15. object — a thing
  16. kick — with a leg
  17. face — part of the head
  18. object — an aim
  19. face — to confront
  20. bore — to drill
  21. fine — a penalty
  22. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  23. bore — gave birth
  24. scale — for weighing

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