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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. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  2. Have you met the new head ________________?
  3. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  4. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  5. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  6. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  7. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  8. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  9. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  10. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  11. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  12. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  13. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  14. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  15. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  16. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  17. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  18. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  19. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  20. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  21. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  22. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  23. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  24. What do you think of the new ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. wound — past of 'wind'
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. face — to confront
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. wound — an injury
  6. spring — of water
  7. coach — pulled by horses
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. drill — the tool
  10. spring — a coil
  11. face — part of the head
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. present — a gift
  15. wound — an injury
  16. present — there
  17. face — to point toward
  18. present — the time now
  19. drill — army training
  20. stick — to attach or keep to
  21. cabinet — a cupboard
  22. spring — the season
  23. drill — a practice
  24. cabinet — ministers

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