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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. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  2. When will it ________________ you to start?
  3. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  4. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  5. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  6. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  7. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  8. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  9. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  10. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  11. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  12. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  13. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  14. My mare is ________________ in color.
  15. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  16. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  17. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  18. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  19. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  20. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  21. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  22. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  23. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  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. bore — to drill
  2. suit — to fit
  3. capital — a city
  4. face — part of the head
  5. suit — in cards
  6. bore — gave birth
  7. bay — a part of the sea
  8. bay — to keep at bay
  9. face — to confront
  10. capital — a big letter
  11. wind — to turn a key
  12. capital — money
  13. face — to point toward
  14. bay — a horse colour
  15. wind — moving air
  16. wind — moving air
  17. cue — a hint
  18. shower — rain
  19. shower — a meteor shower
  20. shower — to wash
  21. cue — for pool
  22. suit — clothes
  23. cue — a signal
  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