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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. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  2. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  3. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  4. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  5. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  6. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  7. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  8. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  9. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  10. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  11. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  12. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  13. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  14. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  15. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  16. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  17. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  18. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  19. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  20. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  21. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  22. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  23. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  24. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to confront
  2. drill — the tool
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. wave — of the sea
  5. drill — army training
  6. pass — to spend time
  7. drill — a practice
  8. fork — to eat with
  9. face — part of the head
  10. wave — a sudden rise
  11. fork — in a road
  12. vault — in gymnastics
  13. fork — a garden tool
  14. branch — of a bank
  15. pass — a permit
  16. pass — to succeed
  17. vault — a safe
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. fan — to cool the air
  20. branch — of a tree
  21. branch — a division
  22. face — to point toward
  23. vault — an arched ceiling
  24. wave — with your hand

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