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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. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  2. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  3. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  4. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  5. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  6. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  7. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  8. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  9. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  10. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  11. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  12. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  13. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  14. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  15. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  16. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  17. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  18. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  19. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  20. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  21. How do you ________________ your surname?
  22. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  23. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  24. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — music
  2. fan — to cool the air
  3. face — to point toward
  4. face — to confront
  5. spell — magic
  6. bore — to tire
  7. lash — to lash out
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. rock — to move gently
  10. jam — in traffic
  11. lash — a whip stroke
  12. lash — an eyelash
  13. face — part of the head
  14. bore — gave birth
  15. jam — to spread on bread
  16. net — after costs
  17. spell — a short time
  18. net — for catching
  19. jam — a tight spot
  20. net — in sport
  21. spell — letters
  22. bore — to drill
  23. rock — a stone
  24. fan — a supporter

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