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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: face · sharp · bat · rock · straw · bore · deal · dip

  1. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  2. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  3. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  4. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  5. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  6. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  7. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  8. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  9. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  10. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  11. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  12. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  13. It's one o'clock ________________.
  14. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  15. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  16. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  17. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  18. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  19. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  20. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  21. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  22. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  23. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  24. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to drill
  2. bore — to tire
  3. face — part of the head
  4. bat — in an idiom
  5. face — to confront
  6. straw — dry grass
  7. bore — gave birth
  8. rock — to move gently
  9. bat — for baseball
  10. face — to point toward
  11. bat — the animal
  12. dip — to sink
  13. sharp — exactly
  14. sharp — clever
  15. rock — a stone
  16. rock — music
  17. straw — a straw man
  18. deal — a big deal
  19. deal — an agreement
  20. dip — to dunk
  21. deal — to handle
  22. straw — to clutch at straws
  23. sharp — with an edge
  24. dip — a sauce

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