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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. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  2. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  3. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  4. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  5. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  6. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  7. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  8. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  9. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  10. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  11. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  12. He was locked up in a ________________.
  13. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  14. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  15. When will it ________________ you to start?
  16. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  17. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  18. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  19. My mare is ________________ in color.
  20. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  21. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  22. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  23. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  24. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to confront
  2. bore — to tire
  3. wave — a sudden rise
  4. scale — size or range
  5. wave — with your hand
  6. scale — for weighing
  7. cell — in biology
  8. pit — a fruit stone
  9. bay — to keep at bay
  10. suit — clothes
  11. face — part of the head
  12. cell — in a prison
  13. cell — a phone
  14. suit — in cards
  15. suit — to fit
  16. pit — a hole
  17. wave — of the sea
  18. bay — a part of the sea
  19. bay — a horse colour
  20. pit — in a race
  21. bore — gave birth
  22. bore — to drill
  23. face — to point toward
  24. scale — in music

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