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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. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  2. When are we going to ________________?
  3. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  4. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  5. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  6. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  7. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  8. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  9. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  10. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  11. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  12. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  13. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  14. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  15. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  16. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  17. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  18. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  19. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  20. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  21. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  22. What do you think of the new ________________?
  23. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  24. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — army training
  2. land — to come down
  3. face — to point toward
  4. drill — a practice
  5. fine — a penalty
  6. squash — the vegetable
  7. fine — all right
  8. drill — the tool
  9. wave — of the sea
  10. wake — a trail
  11. face — part of the head
  12. land — a country
  13. face — to confront
  14. land — ground
  15. wake — before a funeral
  16. squash — the sport
  17. fine — high quality
  18. wave — with your hand
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. wave — a sudden rise
  21. wake — to stop sleeping
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. cabinet — a cupboard
  24. squash — to crush

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