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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. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  2. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  3. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  4. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  5. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  6. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  7. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  8. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  9. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  10. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  11. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  12. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  13. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  14. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  15. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  16. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  17. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  18. There's no middle ________________.
  19. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  20. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  21. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  22. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  23. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  24. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to confront
  2. drill — the tool
  3. fork — in a road
  4. ground — crushed
  5. net — for catching
  6. ground — the earth
  7. face — part of the head
  8. shower — rain
  9. pass — a permit
  10. fork — to eat with
  11. drill — a practice
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. pass — to succeed
  14. pass — to spend time
  15. drill — army training
  16. mouse — for a computer
  17. shower — a meteor shower
  18. ground — a position
  19. shower — to wash
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. net — in sport
  22. fork — a garden tool
  23. net — after costs
  24. face — to point toward

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