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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. False peace will not ________________.
  2. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  3. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  4. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  5. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  6. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  7. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  8. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  9. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  10. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  11. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  12. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  13. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  14. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  15. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  16. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  17. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  18. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  19. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  20. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  21. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  22. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  23. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  24. The ________________ took off on time.

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

Answer key

  1. last — to go on
  2. bore — to drill
  3. face — to point toward
  4. track — to keep track
  5. face — part of the head
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. face — to confront
  8. ruler — a monarch
  9. foot — the bottom
  10. board — a flat piece
  11. board — a committee
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. last — final
  14. track — a song
  15. foot — part of the body
  16. foot — a measure
  17. bore — gave birth
  18. plane — a tool
  19. last — finally
  20. track — a path
  21. bore — to tire
  22. plane — in geometry
  23. board — to get on
  24. plane — an aircraft

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