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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. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  2. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  3. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  4. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  5. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  6. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  7. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  8. We're almost out of ________________.
  9. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  10. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  11. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  12. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  13. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  14. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  15. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  16. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  17. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  18. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  19. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  20. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  21. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  22. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  23. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  24. You don't need to ________________ round.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — army training
  2. content — the amount
  3. content — videos and posts
  4. rule — to rule out
  5. hand — in cards
  6. hand — help
  7. drill — a practice
  8. pop — soda
  9. face — part of the head
  10. pop — music
  11. rule — a law
  12. face — to point toward
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. hand — part of the body
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. rule — government
  17. content — happy
  18. perch — the fish
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. face — to confront
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. safe — a strongbox
  23. drill — the tool
  24. pop — to visit

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