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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. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  2. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  3. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  4. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  5. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  6. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  7. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  8. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  9. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  10. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  11. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  12. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  13. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  14. False peace will not ________________.
  15. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  16. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  17. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  18. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  19. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  20. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  21. My mare is ________________ in color.
  22. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  23. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  24. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.

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

Answer key

  1. face — part of the head
  2. bore — to drill
  3. bark — of a tree
  4. bark — a dog's sound
  5. bore — to tire
  6. content — the amount
  7. safe — a strongbox
  8. face — to point toward
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. content — videos and posts
  11. content — happy
  12. bore — gave birth
  13. bay — to keep at bay
  14. last — to go on
  15. last — final
  16. cap — a lid
  17. last — finally
  18. bark — to shout
  19. cap — a hat
  20. bay — a part of the sea
  21. bay — a horse colour
  22. cap — of ice
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. face — to confront

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