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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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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 · mug · last · can · bore · nail · perch · chest

  1. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  2. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  3. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  4. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  5. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  6. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  7. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  8. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  9. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  10. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  11. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  12. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  13. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  14. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  15. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  16. The ________________ went through the wall.
  17. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  18. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  19. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  20. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  21. False peace will not ________________.
  22. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  23. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  24. Where did you ________________ them?

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

Answer key

  1. face — to point toward
  2. perch — the fish
  3. mug — a cup
  4. bore — to drill
  5. chest — of your body
  6. face — part of the head
  7. last — final
  8. can — a tin
  9. can — a tin
  10. can — to be able to
  11. last — finally
  12. bore — gave birth
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. bore — to tire
  15. chest — a box
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. mug — a face
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. face — to confront
  21. last — to go on
  22. nail — on a finger
  23. chest — of your body
  24. mug — to rob

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