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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. The King held a masked ________________.
  2. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  3. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  4. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  5. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  6. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  7. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  8. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  9. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  10. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  11. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  12. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  13. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  14. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  15. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  16. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  17. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  18. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  19. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  20. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  21. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  22. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  23. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  24. The spa offers ________________ extensions.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a dance
  2. face — part of the head
  3. bore — to tire
  4. ball — a round shape
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. drill — the tool
  7. drill — army training
  8. lash — a whip stroke
  9. board — a committee
  10. drill — a practice
  11. face — to confront
  12. face — to point toward
  13. bore — gave birth
  14. mouse — for a computer
  15. chest — a box
  16. board — to get on
  17. bore — to drill
  18. board — a flat piece
  19. chest — of your body
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. lash — to lash out
  22. chest — of your body
  23. ball — a great time
  24. lash — an eyelash

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