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

  1. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  2. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  3. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  4. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  5. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  6. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  7. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  8. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  9. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  10. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  11. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  12. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  13. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  14. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  15. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  16. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  17. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  18. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  19. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  20. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  21. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  22. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  23. How do you ________________ your surname?
  24. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to confront
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. hide — animal skin
  4. dip — to dunk
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. dip — a sauce
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. rock — music
  9. drill — a practice
  10. patient — calm and waiting
  11. rock — a stone
  12. rock — to move gently
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. spell — magic
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. spell — a short time
  18. face — part of the head
  19. stick — to attach or keep to
  20. dip — to sink
  21. face — to point toward
  22. drill — army training
  23. spell — letters
  24. drill — the tool

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