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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. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  2. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  3. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  4. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  5. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  6. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  7. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  8. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  9. There's no middle ________________.
  10. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  11. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  12. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  13. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  14. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  15. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  16. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  17. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  18. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  19. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  20. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  21. I'll be taking the ________________.
  22. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  23. The King held a masked ________________.
  24. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — the tool
  2. file — a line of people
  3. ground — the earth
  4. tube — a container
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. ball — a round shape
  7. drill — army training
  8. face — to confront
  9. ground — a position
  10. face — part of the head
  11. ball — a great time
  12. prune — to trim
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. file — a document
  15. tube — in a tire
  16. patient — calm and waiting
  17. prune — the fruit
  18. drill — a practice
  19. file — a tool
  20. face — to point toward
  21. tube — the underground
  22. ground — crushed
  23. ball — a dance
  24. prune — to trim

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