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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: rush · bound · stem · wind · bat · face · safe · bore

  1. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  2. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  3. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  4. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  5. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  6. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  7. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  8. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  9. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  10. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  11. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  12. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  13. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  14. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  15. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  16. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  17. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  18. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  19. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  20. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  21. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  22. That was ________________ to happen.
  23. That must've been a ________________.
  24. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — to hurry
  2. face — to point toward
  3. bore — to tire
  4. wind — moving air
  5. bore — to drill
  6. stem — of a plant
  7. face — part of the head
  8. rush — hurry
  9. stem — to come from
  10. bound — obliged
  11. stem — a stem cell
  12. bat — the animal
  13. bat — in an idiom
  14. bore — gave birth
  15. safe — a strongbox
  16. bat — for baseball
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. face — to confront
  19. wind — to turn a key
  20. bound — tied together
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. bound — certain
  23. rush — a thrill
  24. wind — moving air

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