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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: chair · bore · mug · fine · face · rule · date · bulb

  1. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  2. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  3. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  4. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  5. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  6. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  7. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  8. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  9. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  10. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  11. The light ________________ burned out.
  12. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  13. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  14. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  15. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  16. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  17. Where did you ________________ them?
  18. I've got to change the light ________________.
  19. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  20. Have you settled on a ________________?
  21. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  22. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  23. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  24. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.

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

Answer key

  1. face — part of the head
  2. bore — to drill
  3. chair — to sit on
  4. mug — a face
  5. fine — high quality
  6. chair — a professorship
  7. rule — a law
  8. bulb — of a plant
  9. face — to point toward
  10. fine — a penalty
  11. bulb — for light
  12. date — on the calendar
  13. bore — gave birth
  14. chair — a leader
  15. mug — a cup
  16. rule — government
  17. mug — to rob
  18. bulb — for light
  19. bore — to tire
  20. date — on the calendar
  21. rule — to rule out
  22. fine — all right
  23. date — the fruit
  24. face — to confront

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