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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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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: rest · face · saw · land · chest · fall · bore · bay

  1. When are we going to ________________?
  2. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  3. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  4. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  5. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  6. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  7. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  8. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  9. He works in a ________________ mill.
  10. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  11. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  12. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  13. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  14. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  15. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  16. She's very handy with a ________________.
  17. My mare is ________________ in color.
  18. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  19. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  20. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  21. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  22. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  23. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  24. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.

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

Answer key

  1. land — to come down
  2. saw — past of 'see'
  3. fall — to drop
  4. face — to confront
  5. bay — to keep at bay
  6. bore — gave birth
  7. face — part of the head
  8. bay — a part of the sea
  9. saw — the tool
  10. rest — a break
  11. bore — to drill
  12. fall — the season
  13. face — to point toward
  14. rest — what's left
  15. fall — to drop
  16. saw — the tool
  17. bay — a horse colour
  18. chest — a box
  19. bore — to tire
  20. land — a country
  21. rest — what's left
  22. land — ground
  23. chest — of your body
  24. chest — of your body

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