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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. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  2. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  3. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  4. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  5. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  6. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  7. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  8. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  9. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  10. Have you met the new head ________________?
  11. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  12. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  13. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  14. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  15. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  16. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  17. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  18. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  19. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  20. What do you think of the new ________________?
  21. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  22. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  23. I'll be taking the ________________.
  24. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — gave birth
  2. coach — pulled by horses
  3. tube — in a tire
  4. bore — to drill
  5. face — to point toward
  6. row — a line
  7. row — to paddle
  8. face — to confront
  9. bass — low music
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. rest — a break
  12. bass — the instrument
  13. tube — a container
  14. bore — to tire
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. row — a quarrel
  17. rest — what's left
  18. bass — the fish
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. cabinet — a cupboard
  22. face — part of the head
  23. tube — the underground
  24. rest — what's left

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