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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. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  2. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  3. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  4. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  5. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  6. The light ________________ burned out.
  7. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  8. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  9. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  10. Don't do anything ________________.
  11. I've got to change the light ________________.
  12. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  13. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  14. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  15. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  16. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  17. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  18. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  19. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  20. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  21. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  22. I'll be taking the ________________.
  23. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  24. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — army training
  2. rest — what's left
  3. face — part of the head
  4. rash — a series
  5. tube — a container
  6. bulb — for light
  7. kick — with a leg
  8. bulb — of a plant
  9. rest — a break
  10. rash — hasty
  11. bulb — for light
  12. rash — on the skin
  13. kick — in football
  14. face — to confront
  15. drill — the tool
  16. field — for sport
  17. rest — what's left
  18. face — to point toward
  19. drill — a practice
  20. tube — in a tire
  21. kick — a thrill
  22. tube — the underground
  23. field — farmland
  24. field — a subject

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