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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. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  2. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  3. Have you met the new head ________________?
  4. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  5. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  6. The ________________ went through the wall.
  7. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  8. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  9. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  10. I've got to change the light ________________.
  11. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  12. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  13. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  14. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  15. The light ________________ burned out.
  16. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  17. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  18. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  19. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  20. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  21. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  22. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  23. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  24. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.

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

Answer key

  1. face — part of the head
  2. pit — a fruit stone
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. drill — army training
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. pit — in a race
  8. coach — pulled by horses
  9. drill — a practice
  10. bulb — for light
  11. tear — from crying
  12. nail — on a finger
  13. pound — for dogs
  14. tear — to rip
  15. bulb — for light
  16. tear — from crying
  17. drill — the tool
  18. pound — to hit hard
  19. face — to confront
  20. bulb — of a plant
  21. pound — a weight
  22. pit — a hole
  23. face — to point toward
  24. coach — a trainer

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