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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 muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  2. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  3. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  4. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  5. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  6. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  7. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  8. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  9. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  10. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  11. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  12. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  13. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  14. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  15. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  16. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  17. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  18. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  19. The tickets are free of ________________.
  20. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  21. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  22. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  23. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  24. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a path
  2. face — to point toward
  3. toast — a drink to someone
  4. charge — in control
  5. snap — to speak sharply
  6. bore — gave birth
  7. toast — the most admired
  8. firm — a company
  9. snap — to snap out of it
  10. track — a song
  11. bore — to drill
  12. snap — to click
  13. toast — bread
  14. firm — steady
  15. capital — a city
  16. capital — money
  17. face — to confront
  18. charge — electricity
  19. charge — a price
  20. face — part of the head
  21. bore — to tire
  22. capital — a big letter
  23. track — to keep track
  24. firm — decided

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