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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. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  2. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  3. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  4. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  5. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  6. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  7. There's no middle ________________.
  8. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  9. That must've been a ________________.
  10. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  11. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  12. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  13. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  14. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  15. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  16. Did you ________________ the button?
  17. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  18. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  19. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  20. When are we going to ________________?
  21. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  22. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  23. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  24. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — for a computer
  2. ground — the earth
  3. rush — hurry
  4. drill — the tool
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. land — ground
  7. ground — a position
  8. drill — army training
  9. rush — a thrill
  10. face — part of the head
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. land — a country
  13. rush — to hurry
  14. ground — crushed
  15. press — newspapers
  16. press — to push
  17. scale — size or range
  18. face — to confront
  19. drill — a practice
  20. land — to come down
  21. scale — for weighing
  22. press — a publisher
  23. face — to point toward
  24. scale — in music

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