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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. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  2. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  3. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  4. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  5. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  6. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  7. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  8. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  9. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  10. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  11. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  12. The ________________ went through the wall.
  13. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  14. When was this ________________ built?
  15. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  16. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  17. That was a fun ________________.
  18. How do you ________________ your surname?
  19. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  20. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  21. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  22. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  23. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  24. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to point toward
  2. game — a kind of play
  3. drill — the tool
  4. game — wild animals
  5. drill — a practice
  6. spell — magic
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. face — part of the head
  9. cue — a signal
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. drill — army training
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. cue — a hint
  16. ruler — a monarch
  17. game — a match
  18. spell — letters
  19. face — to confront
  20. nail — on a finger
  21. temple — side of the head
  22. cue — for pool
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. spell — a short time

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