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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 was this ________________ built?
  3. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  4. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  5. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  6. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  7. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  8. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  9. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  10. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  11. False peace will not ________________.
  12. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  13. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  14. That must've been a ________________.
  15. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  16. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  17. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  18. The ________________ went through the wall.
  19. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  20. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  21. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  22. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  23. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  24. At ________________, we arrived at the village.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — army training
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. face — to point toward
  4. temple — side of the head
  5. mine — belonging to me
  6. rush — hurry
  7. drill — a practice
  8. nail — on a finger
  9. face — to confront
  10. safe — a strongbox
  11. last — to go on
  12. mine — an explosive
  13. mine — for digging
  14. rush — a thrill
  15. rush — to hurry
  16. last — final
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. drill — the tool
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. face — part of the head
  24. last — finally

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