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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. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  2. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  3. She's very handy with a ________________.
  4. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  5. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  6. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  7. David sat on the ________________.
  8. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  9. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  10. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  11. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  12. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  13. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  14. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  15. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  16. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  17. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  18. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  19. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  20. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  21. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  22. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  23. This piece is in a major ________________.
  24. He works in a ________________ mill.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to point toward
  2. bore — gave birth
  3. saw — the tool
  4. lash — to lash out
  5. face — to confront
  6. bore — to drill
  7. swing — to play on
  8. swing — music
  9. fork — in a road
  10. face — part of the head
  11. key — for a lock
  12. swing — in golf
  13. key — the most important part
  14. wake — before a funeral
  15. saw — past of 'see'
  16. wake — to stop sleeping
  17. lash — a whip stroke
  18. bore — to tire
  19. fork — to eat with
  20. wake — a trail
  21. fork — a garden tool
  22. lash — an eyelash
  23. key — in music
  24. saw — the tool

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