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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. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  2. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  3. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  4. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  5. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  6. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  7. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  8. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  9. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  10. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  11. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  12. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  13. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  14. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  15. The water is too ________________.
  16. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  17. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  18. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  19. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  20. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  21. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  22. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  23. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  24. The ________________ took off on time.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to point toward
  2. drill — a practice
  3. bowl — a football final
  4. patient — calm and waiting
  5. drill — the tool
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. fork — in a road
  8. face — part of the head
  9. fork — to eat with
  10. bowl — a dish
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. face — to confront
  13. bowl — to roll
  14. drill — army training
  15. cold — not warm
  16. plane — a tool
  17. cold — the Cold War
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. ruler — a monarch
  20. cold — an illness
  21. plane — in geometry
  22. fork — a garden tool
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. plane — an aircraft

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