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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 120 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. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  2. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  3. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  4. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  5. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  6. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  7. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  8. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  9. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  10. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  11. You don't need to ________________ round.
  12. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  13. We're almost out of ________________.
  14. The King held a masked ________________.
  15. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  16. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  17. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  18. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  19. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  20. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  21. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  22. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  23. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  24. I'll be taking the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — the tool
  2. can — to be able to
  3. deal — a big deal
  4. face — to confront
  5. ball — a round shape
  6. can — a tin
  7. face — to point toward
  8. pop — music
  9. drill — a practice
  10. stem — to come from
  11. pop — to visit
  12. ball — a great time
  13. pop — soda
  14. ball — a dance
  15. tube — in a tire
  16. can — a tin
  17. stem — a stem cell
  18. stem — of a plant
  19. deal — to handle
  20. tube — a container
  21. face — part of the head
  22. deal — an agreement
  23. drill — army training
  24. tube — the underground

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