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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. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  2. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  3. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  4. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  5. Have you met the new head ________________?
  6. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  7. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  8. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  9. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  10. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  11. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  12. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  13. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  14. It's one o'clock ________________.
  15. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  16. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  17. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  18. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  19. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  20. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  21. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  22. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  23. He was locked up in a ________________.
  24. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to point toward
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. snap — to speak sharply
  4. dip — to dunk
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. sharp — clever
  7. dip — to sink
  8. cell — a phone
  9. cell — in biology
  10. bowl — a dish
  11. dip — a sauce
  12. bore — gave birth
  13. sharp — with an edge
  14. sharp — exactly
  15. bore — to tire
  16. snap — to snap out of it
  17. coach — pulled by horses
  18. face — part of the head
  19. snap — to click
  20. bowl — a football final
  21. face — to confront
  22. bowl — to roll
  23. cell — in a prison
  24. bore — to drill

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