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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. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  2. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  3. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  4. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  5. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  6. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  7. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  8. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  9. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  10. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  11. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  12. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  13. That was ________________ to happen.
  14. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  15. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  16. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  17. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  18. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  19. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  20. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  21. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  22. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  23. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  24. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — army training
  2. face — part of the head
  3. firm — decided
  4. firm — steady
  5. drill — the tool
  6. bound — tied together
  7. branch — of a tree
  8. bound — obliged
  9. mouse — for a computer
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. face — to point toward
  12. branch — of a bank
  13. bound — certain
  14. face — to confront
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. file — a document
  18. file — a tool
  19. drill — a practice
  20. lie — to recline
  21. firm — a company
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. branch — a division
  24. file — a line of people

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