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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. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  2. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  3. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  4. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  5. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  6. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  7. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  8. The King held a masked ________________.
  9. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  10. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  11. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  12. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  13. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  14. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  15. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  16. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  17. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  18. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  19. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  20. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  21. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  22. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  23. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  24. Boris sat near the fire ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a great time
  2. drill — army training
  3. firm — decided
  4. face — to point toward
  5. straw — a straw man
  6. drill — a practice
  7. fine — a penalty
  8. ball — a dance
  9. face — part of the head
  10. firm — a company
  11. kick — with a leg
  12. face — to confront
  13. drill — the tool
  14. fine — all right
  15. straw — dry grass
  16. fine — high quality
  17. kick — in football
  18. straw — to clutch at straws
  19. pit — in a race
  20. kick — a thrill
  21. ball — a round shape
  22. firm — steady
  23. pit — a fruit stone
  24. pit — a hole

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