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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. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  2. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  3. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  4. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  5. She's very handy with a ________________.
  6. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  7. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  8. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  9. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  10. This piece is in a major ________________.
  11. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  12. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  13. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  14. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  15. The tickets are free of ________________.
  16. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  17. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  18. He works in a ________________ mill.
  19. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  20. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  21. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  22. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  23. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  24. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to tire
  2. key — for a lock
  3. rule — government
  4. bore — gave birth
  5. saw — the tool
  6. face — part of the head
  7. bore — to drill
  8. rule — to rule out
  9. charge — in control
  10. key — in music
  11. charge — electricity
  12. saw — past of 'see'
  13. rock — a stone
  14. key — the most important part
  15. charge — a price
  16. rock — music
  17. bark — to shout
  18. saw — the tool
  19. bark — of a tree
  20. rule — a law
  21. face — to point toward
  22. bark — a dog's sound
  23. rock — to move gently
  24. face — to confront

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