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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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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. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  2. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  3. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  4. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  5. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  6. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  7. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  8. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  9. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  10. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  11. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  12. What do you think of the new ________________?
  13. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  14. When was this ________________ built?
  15. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  16. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  17. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  18. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  19. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  20. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  21. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  22. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  23. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  24. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a fruit stone
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. face — part of the head
  4. band — a music group
  5. face — to point toward
  6. band — a rubber band
  7. root — the cause
  8. band — a ring
  9. drill — army training
  10. temple — side of the head
  11. pit — a hole
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. cabinet — a cupboard
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. scale — size or range
  16. root — of a word
  17. drill — the tool
  18. root — of a plant
  19. scale — in music
  20. pit — in a race
  21. drill — a practice
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. scale — for weighing
  24. face — to confront

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