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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. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  2. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  3. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  4. She's very handy with a ________________.
  5. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  6. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  7. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  8. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  9. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  10. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  11. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  12. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  13. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  14. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  15. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  16. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  17. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  18. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  19. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  20. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  21. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  22. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  23. He works in a ________________ mill.
  24. The water is too ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — to attach or keep to
  2. dip — a sauce
  3. drill — army training
  4. saw — the tool
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. face — to confront
  7. dip — to dunk
  8. pit — a fruit stone
  9. cue — for pool
  10. drill — the tool
  11. cue — a signal
  12. face — to point toward
  13. drill — a practice
  14. cold — the Cold War
  15. pit — in a race
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. dip — to sink
  18. cold — an illness
  19. saw — past of 'see'
  20. face — part of the head
  21. pit — a hole
  22. cue — a hint
  23. saw — the tool
  24. cold — not warm

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