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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. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  2. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  3. I can't ________________ this cold.
  4. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  5. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  6. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  7. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  8. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  9. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  10. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  11. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  12. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  13. How do you ________________ your surname?
  14. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  15. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  16. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  17. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  18. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  19. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  20. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  21. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  22. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  23. There's no middle ________________.
  24. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a signal
  2. bore — to drill
  3. stand — to bear
  4. face — to point toward
  5. spell — magic
  6. track — to keep track
  7. ground — crushed
  8. track — a song
  9. tear — from crying
  10. tear — from crying
  11. bore — to tire
  12. bore — gave birth
  13. spell — letters
  14. track — a path
  15. spell — a short time
  16. stand — on your feet
  17. face — part of the head
  18. tear — to rip
  19. cue — for pool
  20. face — to confront
  21. cue — a hint
  22. ground — the earth
  23. ground — a position
  24. stand — for spectators

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