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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 ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  2. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  3. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  4. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  5. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  6. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  7. This piece is in a major ________________.
  8. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  9. You don't need to ________________ round.
  10. We're almost out of ________________.
  11. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  12. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  13. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  14. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  15. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  16. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  17. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  18. Have you met the new head ________________?
  19. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  20. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  21. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  22. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  23. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  24. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. bore — gave birth
  3. present — there
  4. pop — music
  5. squash — the sport
  6. present — the time now
  7. key — in music
  8. face — to confront
  9. pop — to visit
  10. pop — soda
  11. squash — to crush
  12. fall — to drop
  13. bore — to tire
  14. fall — to drop
  15. coach — pulled by horses
  16. key — the most important part
  17. face — to point toward
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. present — a gift
  20. squash — the vegetable
  21. bore — to drill
  22. fall — the season
  23. face — part of the head
  24. key — for a lock

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