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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. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  2. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  3. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  4. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  5. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  6. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  7. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  8. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  9. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  10. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  11. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  12. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  13. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  14. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  15. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  16. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  17. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  18. The ________________ went through the wall.
  19. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  20. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  21. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  22. When will it ________________ you to start?
  23. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  24. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.

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

Answer key

  1. face — part of the head
  2. wind — moving air
  3. bore — to tire
  4. wake — a trail
  5. face — to confront
  6. degree — from a university
  7. pit — in a race
  8. wake — to stop sleeping
  9. suit — in cards
  10. wake — before a funeral
  11. degree — an amount
  12. pit — a hole
  13. pit — a fruit stone
  14. wind — to turn a key
  15. suit — clothes
  16. degree — temperature
  17. face — to point toward
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. bore — gave birth
  20. wind — moving air
  21. bore — to drill
  22. suit — to fit
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. nail — on a finger

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