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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. Don't do anything ________________.
  2. We're on a ________________ here.
  3. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  4. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  5. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  6. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  7. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  8. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  9. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  10. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  11. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  12. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  13. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  14. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  15. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  16. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  17. How do you ________________ your surname?
  18. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  19. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  20. When are we going to ________________?
  21. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  22. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  23. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  24. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — hasty
  2. roll — on a roll
  3. bore — gave birth
  4. face — to confront
  5. cue — a hint
  6. rash — a series
  7. spell — a short time
  8. face — part of the head
  9. deal — to handle
  10. bore — to drill
  11. cue — for pool
  12. roll — a list
  13. land — ground
  14. deal — a big deal
  15. face — to point toward
  16. spell — magic
  17. spell — letters
  18. cue — a signal
  19. roll — a cake
  20. land — to come down
  21. rash — on the skin
  22. bore — to tire
  23. deal — an agreement
  24. land — a country

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