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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. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  2. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  3. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  4. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  5. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  6. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  7. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  8. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  9. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  10. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  11. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  12. I'll be taking the ________________.
  13. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  14. When are we going to ________________?
  15. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  16. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  17. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  18. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  19. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  20. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  21. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  22. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  23. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  24. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. bore — gave birth
  3. current — electric
  4. face — to point toward
  5. toast — a drink to someone
  6. face — part of the head
  7. current — of water
  8. straw — to clutch at straws
  9. toast — the most admired
  10. tube — in a tire
  11. bore — to drill
  12. tube — the underground
  13. rest — a break
  14. land — to come down
  15. face — to confront
  16. rest — what's left
  17. land — ground
  18. straw — dry grass
  19. bore — to tire
  20. straw — a straw man
  21. toast — bread
  22. current — happening now
  23. land — a country
  24. tube — a container

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