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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. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  3. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  4. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  5. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  6. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  7. It's one o'clock ________________.
  8. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  9. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  10. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  11. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  12. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  13. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  14. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  15. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  16. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  17. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  18. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  19. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  20. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  21. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  22. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  23. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  24. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — gave birth
  2. spring — the season
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. face — to confront
  5. bore — to tire
  6. spring — of water
  7. sharp — exactly
  8. face — part of the head
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. can — a tin
  11. face — to point toward
  12. can — to be able to
  13. row — to paddle
  14. stick — to attach or keep to
  15. bore — to drill
  16. sharp — clever
  17. can — a tin
  18. wake — before a funeral
  19. wake — to stop sleeping
  20. sharp — with an edge
  21. row — a quarrel
  22. wake — a trail
  23. row — a line
  24. spring — a coil

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