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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. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  2. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  3. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  4. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  5. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  6. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  7. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  8. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  9. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  10. Don't do anything ________________.
  11. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  12. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  13. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  14. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  15. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  16. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  17. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  18. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  19. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  20. I can't ________________ this cold.
  21. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  22. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  23. It's one o'clock ________________.
  24. She's sitting on a gold ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — a series
  2. bass — low music
  3. bore — gave birth
  4. can — a tin
  5. can — a tin
  6. stand — on your feet
  7. rash — on the skin
  8. mine — an explosive
  9. bass — the fish
  10. rash — hasty
  11. face — to confront
  12. bore — to drill
  13. bass — the instrument
  14. stand — for spectators
  15. sharp — clever
  16. mine — belonging to me
  17. can — to be able to
  18. sharp — with an edge
  19. bore — to tire
  20. stand — to bear
  21. face — to point toward
  22. face — part of the head
  23. sharp — exactly
  24. mine — for digging

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