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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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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: pop · leaves · bore · cap · face · suit · squash · bear

  1. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  2. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  3. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  4. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  5. We're almost out of ________________.
  6. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  7. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  8. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  9. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  10. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  11. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  12. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  13. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  14. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  15. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  16. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  17. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  18. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  19. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  20. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  21. When will it ________________ you to start?
  22. You don't need to ________________ round.
  23. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  24. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to drill
  2. bear — to put up with
  3. bore — gave birth
  4. face — part of the head
  5. pop — soda
  6. cap — a hat
  7. bear — the animal
  8. suit — in cards
  9. suit — clothes
  10. squash — to crush
  11. cap — a lid
  12. bear — the animal
  13. pop — music
  14. squash — the vegetable
  15. face — to confront
  16. face — to point toward
  17. cap — of ice
  18. leaves — of a tree
  19. squash — the sport
  20. leaves — to go away
  21. suit — to fit
  22. pop — to visit
  23. bore — to tire
  24. leaves — lets stay

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