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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: drill · dip · face · bear · present · bore · racket · cell

  1. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  2. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  3. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  4. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  5. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  6. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  7. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  8. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  9. He was locked up in a ________________.
  10. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  11. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  12. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  13. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  14. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  15. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  16. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  17. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  18. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  19. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  20. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  21. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  22. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  23. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  24. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!

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

Answer key

  1. present — a gift
  2. present — the time now
  3. bore — to tire
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. dip — to dunk
  6. cell — in biology
  7. bore — gave birth
  8. drill — army training
  9. cell — in a prison
  10. dip — to sink
  11. drill — the tool
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. cell — a phone
  14. face — to confront
  15. face — to point toward
  16. drill — a practice
  17. dip — a sauce
  18. bear — the animal
  19. racket — a loud noise
  20. bore — to drill
  21. face — part of the head
  22. bear — the animal
  23. present — there
  24. bear — to put up with

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