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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. He works in a ________________ mill.
  2. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  3. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  4. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  5. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  6. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  7. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  8. She's very handy with a ________________.
  9. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  10. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  11. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  12. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  13. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  14. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  15. The ________________ went through the wall.
  16. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  17. This piece is in a major ________________.
  18. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  19. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  20. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  21. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  22. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  23. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  24. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. club — a group
  3. drill — the tool
  4. saw — past of 'see'
  5. face — part of the head
  6. cap — of ice
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. saw — the tool
  9. squash — to crush
  10. squash — the vegetable
  11. squash — the sport
  12. cap — a hat
  13. club — for golf
  14. club — for dancing
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. drill — a practice
  17. key — in music
  18. key — for a lock
  19. nail — on a finger
  20. cap — a lid
  21. face — to point toward
  22. key — the most important part
  23. drill — army training
  24. face — to confront

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