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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 124 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. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  2. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  3. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  4. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  5. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  6. My father caught me by the ________________.
  7. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  8. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  9. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  10. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  11. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  12. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  13. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  14. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  15. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  16. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  17. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  18. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  19. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  20. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  21. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  22. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  23. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  24. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?

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

Answer key

  1. rock — to move gently
  2. file — a line of people
  3. bear — the animal
  4. face — to confront
  5. mine — for digging
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. mine — belonging to me
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. file — a tool
  11. arm — a part of something
  12. ruler — a monarch
  13. face — part of the head
  14. rock — a stone
  15. bore — gave birth
  16. mine — an explosive
  17. bear — the animal
  18. face — to point toward
  19. rock — music
  20. bore — to drill
  21. file — a document
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. bear — to put up with
  24. bore — to tire

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