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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 116 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. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  3. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  4. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  5. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  6. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  7. We're almost out of ________________.
  8. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  9. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  10. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  11. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  12. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  13. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  14. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  15. You don't need to ________________ round.
  16. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  17. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  18. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  19. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  20. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  21. It's one o'clock ________________.
  22. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  23. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  24. Can you turn the ________________ on?

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

Answer key

  1. face — to confront
  2. drill — army training
  3. hand — help
  4. rock — to move gently
  5. pop — music
  6. sharp — clever
  7. pop — soda
  8. rock — music
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. rock — a stone
  11. sharp — with an edge
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. hand — in cards
  14. face — to point toward
  15. pop — to visit
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. drill — the tool
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. hand — part of the body
  20. mouse — for a computer
  21. sharp — exactly
  22. drill — a practice
  23. face — part of the head
  24. fan — to cool the air

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