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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. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  2. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  3. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  4. He was locked up in a ________________.
  5. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  6. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  7. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  8. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  9. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  10. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  11. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  12. The water is too ________________.
  13. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  14. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  15. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  16. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  17. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  18. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  19. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  20. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  21. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  22. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  23. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  24. The ________________ went through the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — on a finger
  2. pass — a permit
  3. face — to point toward
  4. cell — in a prison
  5. cold — the Cold War
  6. cold — an illness
  7. drill — army training
  8. cell — a phone
  9. mouse — for a computer
  10. drill — a practice
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. cold — not warm
  13. pass — to succeed
  14. hide — animal skin
  15. pass — to spend time
  16. face — to confront
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. drill — the tool
  19. face — part of the head
  20. cell — in biology
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. nail — for a hammer

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