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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. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  2. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  3. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  4. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  5. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  6. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  7. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  8. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  9. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  10. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  11. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  12. Don't do anything ________________.
  13. What do you think of the new ________________?
  14. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  15. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  16. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  17. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  18. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  19. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  20. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  21. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  22. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  23. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  24. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to confront
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. drill — a practice
  4. bore — to drill
  5. rash — on the skin
  6. tear — to rip
  7. rash — a series
  8. tear — from crying
  9. cabinet — a cupboard
  10. mark — a trace
  11. drill — the tool
  12. rash — hasty
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. tear — from crying
  16. perch — the fish
  17. mark — a grade
  18. bore — gave birth
  19. mark — to pay attention
  20. face — to point toward
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. face — part of the head
  23. bore — to tire
  24. drill — army training

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