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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 116 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. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  3. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  4. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  5. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  6. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  7. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  8. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  9. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  10. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  11. The water is too ________________.
  12. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  13. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  14. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  15. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  16. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  17. Did you ________________ the button?
  18. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  19. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  20. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  21. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  22. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  23. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  24. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — a practice
  2. craft — a handicraft
  3. drill — army training
  4. cold — the Cold War
  5. face — to point toward
  6. drill — the tool
  7. lie — to recline
  8. rule — a law
  9. board — a committee
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. cold — not warm
  12. rule — to rule out
  13. rule — government
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. cold — an illness
  16. press — newspapers
  17. press — to push
  18. craft — a skill
  19. face — to confront
  20. face — part of the head
  21. board — to get on
  22. press — a publisher
  23. board — a flat piece
  24. craft — boats

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