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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. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  2. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  3. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  4. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  5. I can't ________________ this cold.
  6. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  7. You don't need to ________________ round.
  8. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  9. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  10. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  11. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  12. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  13. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  14. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  15. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  16. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  17. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  18. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  19. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  20. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  21. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  22. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  23. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  24. We're almost out of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to tire
  2. bore — to drill
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. pop — music
  5. stand — to bear
  6. track — a path
  7. pop — to visit
  8. capital — a city
  9. track — to keep track
  10. stand — for spectators
  11. bore — gave birth
  12. track — a song
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. hand — part of the body
  15. hand — help
  16. stand — on your feet
  17. capital — money
  18. safe — a strongbox
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. lie — to recline
  21. capital — a big letter
  22. hand — in cards
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. pop — soda

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