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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 116 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. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  2. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  3. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  4. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  5. I'll be taking the ________________.
  6. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  7. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  8. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  9. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  10. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  11. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  12. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  13. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  14. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  15. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  16. Have you met the new head ________________?
  17. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  18. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  19. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  20. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  21. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  22. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  23. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  24. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. coach — pulled by horses
  3. drill — army training
  4. present — a gift
  5. tube — the underground
  6. drill — the tool
  7. face — to confront
  8. face — part of the head
  9. present — the time now
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. face — to point toward
  12. file — a document
  13. stick — to attach or keep to
  14. current — happening now
  15. tube — a container
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. drill — a practice
  18. file — a line of people
  19. file — a tool
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. current — electric
  22. current — of water
  23. tube — in a tire
  24. present — there

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