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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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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: cabinet · rock · ground · saw · lie · can · toast · bore

  1. He works in a ________________ mill.
  2. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  3. What do you think of the new ________________?
  4. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  5. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  6. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  7. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  8. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  9. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  10. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  11. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  12. She's very handy with a ________________.
  13. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  14. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  15. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  16. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  17. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  18. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  19. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  20. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  21. There's no middle ________________.
  22. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  23. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  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. saw — the tool
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. can — to be able to
  5. rock — music
  6. lie — to recline
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. can — a tin
  9. cabinet — a cupboard
  10. rock — a stone
  11. bore — gave birth
  12. saw — the tool
  13. saw — past of 'see'
  14. toast — a drink to someone
  15. bore — to drill
  16. toast — the most admired
  17. toast — bread
  18. can — a tin
  19. ground — the earth
  20. rock — to move gently
  21. ground — a position
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. ground — crushed
  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