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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. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  2. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  3. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  4. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  5. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  6. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  7. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  8. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  9. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  10. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  11. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  12. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  13. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  14. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  15. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  16. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  17. The King held a masked ________________.
  18. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  19. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  20. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  21. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  22. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  23. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  24. He has no idea where the ________________ is.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. face — part of the head
  3. drill — the tool
  4. face — to confront
  5. drill — a practice
  6. ball — a great time
  7. march — music
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. ball — a round shape
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. cap — a hat
  12. drill — army training
  13. patient — calm and waiting
  14. leaves — of a tree
  15. march — the month
  16. leaves — lets stay
  17. ball — a dance
  18. march — the month
  19. cap — of ice
  20. cap — a lid
  21. leaves — to go away
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. face — to point toward
  24. safe — a strongbox

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