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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. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  2. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  3. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  4. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  5. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  6. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  7. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  8. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  9. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  10. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  11. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  12. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  13. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  14. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  15. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  16. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  17. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  18. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  19. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  20. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  21. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  22. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  23. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  24. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — the tool
  2. drill — a practice
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. lie — to recline
  5. lean — to bend
  6. foot — part of the body
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. face — to confront
  9. bear — to put up with
  10. foot — the bottom
  11. staff — a stick
  12. foot — a measure
  13. drill — army training
  14. lean — to rest against
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. lean — thin
  17. face — to point toward
  18. face — part of the head
  19. staff — employees
  20. patient — calm and waiting
  21. bear — the animal
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. bear — the animal
  24. staff — employees

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