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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. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  2. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  3. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  4. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  5. The King held a masked ________________.
  6. We're on a ________________ here.
  7. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  8. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  9. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  10. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  11. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  12. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  13. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  14. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  15. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  16. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  17. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  18. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  19. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  20. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  21. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  22. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  23. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  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. fork — in a road
  2. ball — a great time
  3. mark — a trace
  4. clip — for paper
  5. ball — a dance
  6. roll — on a roll
  7. clip — to cut
  8. bore — to tire
  9. mark — to pay attention
  10. mark — a grade
  11. face — to confront
  12. bore — gave birth
  13. fork — a garden tool
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. ball — a round shape
  16. face — to point toward
  17. face — part of the head
  18. roll — a cake
  19. fork — to eat with
  20. lie — to recline
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. roll — a list
  23. clip — a video
  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