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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. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  2. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  3. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  4. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  5. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  6. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  7. I can't ________________ this cold.
  8. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  9. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  10. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  11. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  12. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  13. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  14. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  15. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  16. The ________________ went through the wall.
  17. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  18. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  19. There's no middle ________________.
  20. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  21. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  22. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  23. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  24. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — on your feet
  2. face — to confront
  3. drill — army training
  4. face — part of the head
  5. fall — to drop
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. stand — to bear
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. ground — crushed
  10. kick — a thrill
  11. kick — in football
  12. ruler — a monarch
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. kick — with a leg
  15. nail — on a finger
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. ground — the earth
  18. fall — the season
  19. ground — a position
  20. face — to point toward
  21. drill — a practice
  22. stand — for spectators
  23. drill — the tool
  24. fall — to drop

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