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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. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  2. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  3. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  4. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  5. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  6. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  7. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  8. I can't ________________ this cold.
  9. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  10. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  11. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  12. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  13. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  14. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  15. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  16. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  17. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  18. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  19. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  20. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  21. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  22. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  23. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  24. When was this ________________ built?

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. leaves — to go away
  3. bore — to drill
  4. bark — a dog's sound
  5. leaves — of a tree
  6. racket — a loud noise
  7. stand — on your feet
  8. stand — to bear
  9. capital — a city
  10. bore — gave birth
  11. bark — to shout
  12. temple — side of the head
  13. bark — of a tree
  14. capital — money
  15. stand — for spectators
  16. bore — to tire
  17. leaves — lets stay
  18. face — to point toward
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. face — to confront
  21. capital — a big letter
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. face — part of the head
  24. temple — a place of worship

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