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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. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  2. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  3. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  4. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  5. Where did you ________________ them?
  6. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  7. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  8. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  9. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  10. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  11. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  12. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  13. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  14. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  15. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  16. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  17. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  18. False peace will not ________________.
  19. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  20. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  21. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  22. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  23. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  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. face — part of the head
  2. last — final
  3. drill — army training
  4. drill — the tool
  5. mug — to rob
  6. face — to point toward
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. firm — a company
  9. drill — a practice
  10. pit — in a race
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. firm — decided
  13. pit — a hole
  14. deal — a big deal
  15. mug — a cup
  16. mug — a face
  17. deal — to handle
  18. last — to go on
  19. last — finally
  20. firm — steady
  21. fan — to cool the air
  22. deal — an agreement
  23. pit — a fruit stone
  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