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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. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  2. The King held a masked ________________.
  3. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  4. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  5. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  6. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  7. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  8. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  9. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  10. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  11. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  12. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  13. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  14. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  15. Did you ________________ the button?
  16. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  17. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  18. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  19. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  20. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  21. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  22. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  23. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  24. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — the tool
  2. ball — a dance
  3. track — a path
  4. face — part of the head
  5. cue — a signal
  6. press — newspapers
  7. drill — a practice
  8. track — to keep track
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. cue — a hint
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. patient — calm and waiting
  14. face — to confront
  15. press — to push
  16. fan — to cool the air
  17. drill — army training
  18. face — to point toward
  19. ball — a great time
  20. cue — for pool
  21. ball — a round shape
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. press — a publisher
  24. track — a song

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