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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. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  2. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  3. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  4. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  5. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  6. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  7. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  8. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  9. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  10. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  11. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  12. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  13. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  14. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  15. When are we going to ________________?
  16. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  17. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  18. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  19. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  20. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  21. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  22. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  23. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  24. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to confront
  2. land — a country
  3. bowl — a football final
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. snap — to click
  8. bore — to drill
  9. content — happy
  10. content — the amount
  11. bore — to tire
  12. safe — a strongbox
  13. bowl — a dish
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. land — to come down
  16. bore — gave birth
  17. bowl — to roll
  18. snap — to snap out of it
  19. mouse — for a computer
  20. content — videos and posts
  21. face — part of the head
  22. face — to point toward
  23. land — ground
  24. snap — to speak sharply

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