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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. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  2. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  3. That must've been a ________________.
  4. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  5. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  6. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  7. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  8. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  9. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  10. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  11. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  12. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  13. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  14. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  15. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  16. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  17. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  18. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  19. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  20. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  21. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  22. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  23. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  24. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — a practice
  2. bat — for baseball
  3. rush — a thrill
  4. hand — part of the body
  5. drill — army training
  6. kick — with a leg
  7. mark — a trace
  8. face — to point toward
  9. rush — hurry
  10. hand — help
  11. hand — in cards
  12. pass — to spend time
  13. pass — to succeed
  14. mark — a grade
  15. drill — the tool
  16. kick — in football
  17. bat — the animal
  18. mark — to pay attention
  19. face — to confront
  20. kick — a thrill
  21. face — part of the head
  22. rush — to hurry
  23. pass — a permit
  24. bat — in an idiom

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