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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 116 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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  2. Have you found your soul ________________?
  3. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  4. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  5. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  6. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  7. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  8. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  9. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  10. The ball is in your ________________.
  11. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  12. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  13. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  14. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  15. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  16. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  17. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  18. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  19. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  20. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  21. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  22. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  23. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  24. She had a strange look on her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to point toward
  2. mate — a partner
  3. bass — the instrument
  4. drill — the tool
  5. drill — army training
  6. rest — a break
  7. kick — with a leg
  8. kick — in football
  9. bear — the animal
  10. court — for sport
  11. kick — a thrill
  12. drill — a practice
  13. mate — a friend
  14. bear — to put up with
  15. bass — low music
  16. bass — the fish
  17. mate — to breed
  18. bear — the animal
  19. court — of a king
  20. rest — what's left
  21. court — of law
  22. face — to confront
  23. rest — what's left
  24. face — part of the head

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