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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. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  3. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  4. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  5. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  6. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  7. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  8. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  9. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  10. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  11. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  12. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  13. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  14. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  15. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  16. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  17. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  18. That must've been a ________________.
  19. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  20. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  21. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  22. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  23. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  24. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — army training
  2. net — for catching
  3. rush — hurry
  4. face — to point toward
  5. bank — for money
  6. net — in sport
  7. squash — to crush
  8. squash — the sport
  9. face — part of the head
  10. squash — the vegetable
  11. drill — a practice
  12. bank — for money
  13. rush — to hurry
  14. wave — with your hand
  15. bank — of a river
  16. net — after costs
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. rush — a thrill
  19. wave — a sudden rise
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. wave — of the sea
  22. lie — to recline
  23. face — to confront
  24. drill — the tool

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