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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 120 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. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  2. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  3. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  4. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  5. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  6. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  7. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  8. The ________________ took off on time.
  9. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  10. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  11. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  12. Have you met the new head ________________?
  13. He is an ace ________________.
  14. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  15. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  16. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  17. There's no middle ________________.
  18. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  19. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  20. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  21. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  22. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  23. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  24. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?

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

Answer key

  1. coach — pulled by horses
  2. bore — gave birth
  3. club — for dancing
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. snap — to click
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. plane — an aircraft
  9. plane — in geometry
  10. club — for golf
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. pitcher — in baseball
  14. bore — to drill
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. plane — a tool
  17. ground — a position
  18. lie — to recline
  19. snap — to speak sharply
  20. snap — to snap out of it
  21. club — a group
  22. ground — the earth
  23. ground — crushed
  24. bore — to tire

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