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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. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  2. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  3. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  4. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  5. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  6. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  7. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  8. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  9. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  10. Have you met the new head ________________?
  11. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  12. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  13. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  14. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  15. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  16. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  17. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  18. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  19. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  20. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  21. The tickets are free of ________________.
  22. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  23. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  24. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — the animal
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. face — to point toward
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. hide — animal skin
  7. mark — a trace
  8. mark — to pay attention
  9. bat — for baseball
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. stick — to attach or keep to
  12. face — to confront
  13. drill — army training
  14. mark — a grade
  15. coach — pulled by horses
  16. drill — a practice
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. charge — in control
  19. drill — the tool
  20. charge — electricity
  21. charge — a price
  22. face — part of the head
  23. bat — in an idiom
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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