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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. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  2. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  3. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  4. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  5. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  6. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  7. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  8. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  9. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  10. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  11. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  12. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  13. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  14. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  15. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  16. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  17. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  18. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  19. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  20. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  21. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  22. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  23. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  24. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. fine — all right
  3. wind — moving air
  4. deal — an agreement
  5. bore — to tire
  6. rest — a break
  7. wake — a trail
  8. object — an aim
  9. wake — to stop sleeping
  10. deal — a big deal
  11. face — part of the head
  12. deal — to handle
  13. fine — a penalty
  14. bore — to drill
  15. wind — to turn a key
  16. face — to point toward
  17. wind — moving air
  18. fine — high quality
  19. face — to confront
  20. wake — before a funeral
  21. object — a thing
  22. bore — gave birth
  23. rest — what's left
  24. object — to protest

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