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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. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  2. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  3. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  4. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  5. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  6. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  7. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  8. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  9. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  10. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  11. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  12. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  13. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  14. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  15. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  16. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  17. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  18. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  19. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  20. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  21. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  22. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  23. That must've been a ________________.
  24. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — a practice
  2. trunk — of a tree
  3. deal — to handle
  4. chair — a leader
  5. can — a tin
  6. deal — an agreement
  7. can — to be able to
  8. face — part of the head
  9. deal — a big deal
  10. drill — army training
  11. net — after costs
  12. rush — hurry
  13. chair — to sit on
  14. trunk — of an elephant
  15. can — a tin
  16. chair — a professorship
  17. face — to confront
  18. net — for catching
  19. rush — to hurry
  20. trunk — of a car
  21. net — in sport
  22. drill — the tool
  23. rush — a thrill
  24. face — to point toward

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