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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: lie · bore · wake · face · deal · rush · rock · chest

  1. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  2. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  3. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  4. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  5. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  6. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  7. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  8. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  9. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  10. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  11. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  12. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  13. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  14. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  15. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  16. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  17. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  18. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  19. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  20. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  21. That must've been a ________________.
  22. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  23. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  24. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to tire
  2. rush — to hurry
  3. bore — to drill
  4. chest — a box
  5. lie — to recline
  6. deal — a big deal
  7. rock — to move gently
  8. wake — to stop sleeping
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. wake — a trail
  11. rock — music
  12. rush — hurry
  13. face — to point toward
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. face — to confront
  16. chest — of your body
  17. wake — before a funeral
  18. deal — to handle
  19. bore — gave birth
  20. rock — a stone
  21. rush — a thrill
  22. face — part of the head
  23. chest — of your body
  24. deal — an agreement

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