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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. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  2. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  3. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  4. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  5. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  6. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  7. My mare is ________________ in color.
  8. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  9. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  10. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  11. He was locked up in a ________________.
  12. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  13. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  14. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  15. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  16. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  17. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  18. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  19. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  20. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  21. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  22. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  23. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  24. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — army training
  2. dip — to dunk
  3. drill — a practice
  4. dip — to sink
  5. scale — in music
  6. drill — the tool
  7. bay — a horse colour
  8. bank — for money
  9. bank — of a river
  10. face — to point toward
  11. cell — in a prison
  12. cell — a phone
  13. fan — to cool the air
  14. cell — in biology
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. bank — for money
  17. face — part of the head
  18. scale — for weighing
  19. scale — size or range
  20. dip — a sauce
  21. face — to confront
  22. bay — to keep at bay
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. bay — a part of the sea

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