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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. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  2. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  3. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  4. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  5. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  6. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  7. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  8. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  9. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  10. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  11. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  12. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  13. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  14. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  15. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  16. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  17. How do you ________________ your surname?
  18. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  19. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  20. He is an ace ________________.
  21. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  22. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  23. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  24. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — the tool
  2. face — to confront
  3. leaves — to go away
  4. wave — of the sea
  5. drill — army training
  6. hand — part of the body
  7. face — to point toward
  8. spell — a short time
  9. pitch — a sports field
  10. wave — with your hand
  11. leaves — lets stay
  12. hand — in cards
  13. leaves — of a tree
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. spell — magic
  16. pitch — completely
  17. spell — letters
  18. wave — a sudden rise
  19. drill — a practice
  20. pitcher — in baseball
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. hand — help
  23. face — part of the head
  24. pitch — a sales talk

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