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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. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  2. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  3. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  4. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  5. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  6. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  7. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  8. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  9. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  10. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  11. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  12. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  13. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  14. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  15. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  16. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  17. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  18. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  19. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  20. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  21. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  22. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  23. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  24. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to tire
  2. club — for golf
  3. bore — to drill
  4. leaves — to go away
  5. staff — a stick
  6. bore — gave birth
  7. bowl — a dish
  8. leaves — lets stay
  9. club — for dancing
  10. bowl — to roll
  11. scale — in music
  12. scale — size or range
  13. fall — the season
  14. staff — employees
  15. scale — for weighing
  16. staff — employees
  17. fall — to drop
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. bowl — a football final
  21. club — a group
  22. leaves — of a tree
  23. lie — to recline
  24. fall — to drop

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