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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. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  2. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  3. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  4. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  5. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  6. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  7. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  8. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  9. She's very handy with a ________________.
  10. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  11. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  12. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  13. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  14. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  15. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  16. The ball is in your ________________.
  17. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  18. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  19. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  20. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  21. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  22. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  23. He works in a ________________ mill.
  24. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to drill
  2. face — to confront
  3. pit — a fruit stone
  4. bore — to tire
  5. bank — for money
  6. court — of law
  7. bank — for money
  8. band — a rubber band
  9. saw — the tool
  10. court — of a king
  11. band — a ring
  12. pit — in a race
  13. pit — a hole
  14. bore — gave birth
  15. bank — of a river
  16. court — for sport
  17. face — part of the head
  18. face — to point toward
  19. root — the cause
  20. band — a music group
  21. root — of a word
  22. root — of a plant
  23. saw — the tool
  24. saw — past of 'see'

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