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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. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  2. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  3. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  4. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  5. What do you think of the new ________________?
  6. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  7. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  8. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  9. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  10. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  11. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  12. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  13. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  14. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  15. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  16. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  17. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  18. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  19. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  20. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  21. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  22. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  23. The tickets are free of ________________.
  24. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. face — part of the head
  3. face — to confront
  4. drill — army training
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. shower — a meteor shower
  7. present — the time now
  8. shower — to wash
  9. wound — an injury
  10. present — a gift
  11. shower — rain
  12. wound — past of 'wind'
  13. cabinet — a cupboard
  14. face — to point toward
  15. charge — electricity
  16. present — there
  17. wake — a trail
  18. wake — to stop sleeping
  19. drill — the tool
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. wake — before a funeral
  22. drill — a practice
  23. charge — a price
  24. charge — in control

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