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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. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  2. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  3. We're on a ________________ here.
  4. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  5. Where did you ________________ them?
  6. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  7. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  8. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  9. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  10. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  11. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  12. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  13. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  14. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  15. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  16. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  17. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  18. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  19. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  20. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  21. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  22. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  23. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  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. hand — part of the body
  2. roll — a cake
  3. roll — on a roll
  4. fine — all right
  5. mug — to rob
  6. drill — the tool
  7. prune — the fruit
  8. hand — help
  9. mug — a cup
  10. prune — to trim
  11. face — to point toward
  12. mug — a face
  13. ruler — a monarch
  14. drill — a practice
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. prune — to trim
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. hand — in cards
  19. fine — high quality
  20. face — part of the head
  21. drill — army training
  22. fine — a penalty
  23. roll — a list
  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