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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. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  2. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  3. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  4. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  5. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  6. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  7. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  8. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  9. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  10. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  11. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  12. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  13. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  14. I can't ________________ this cold.
  15. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  16. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  17. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  18. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  19. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  20. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  21. I'll be taking the ________________.
  22. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  23. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  24. Don't do anything ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — a practice
  2. face — to confront
  3. tube — a container
  4. hide — animal skin
  5. drill — the tool
  6. branch — of a bank
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. branch — a division
  9. face — to point toward
  10. stand — on your feet
  11. drill — army training
  12. stand — for spectators
  13. tube — in a tire
  14. stand — to bear
  15. rash — on the skin
  16. fork — a garden tool
  17. fork — to eat with
  18. rash — a series
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. fork — in a road
  21. tube — the underground
  22. face — part of the head
  23. branch — of a tree
  24. rash — hasty

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