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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. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  2. The ________________ went through the wall.
  3. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  4. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  5. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  6. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  7. When will it ________________ you to start?
  8. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  9. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  10. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  11. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  12. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  13. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  14. I'll be taking the ________________.
  15. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  16. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  17. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  18. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  19. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  20. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  21. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  22. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  23. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  24. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to point toward
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. net — for catching
  4. tube — a container
  5. drill — a practice
  6. prune — to trim
  7. suit — to fit
  8. face — to confront
  9. track — a song
  10. prune — to trim
  11. drill — army training
  12. drill — the tool
  13. track — to keep track
  14. tube — the underground
  15. suit — clothes
  16. prune — the fruit
  17. tube — in a tire
  18. face — part of the head
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. suit — in cards
  21. nail — on a finger
  22. net — in sport
  23. net — after costs
  24. track — a path

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