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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. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  2. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  3. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  4. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  5. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  6. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  7. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  8. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  9. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  10. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  11. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  12. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  13. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  14. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  15. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  16. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  17. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  18. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  19. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  20. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  21. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  22. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  23. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  24. I'll be taking the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — an explosive
  2. dip — to dunk
  3. dip — to sink
  4. face — part of the head
  5. face — to confront
  6. straw — a straw man
  7. drill — the tool
  8. foot — a measure
  9. drill — a practice
  10. foot — part of the body
  11. foot — the bottom
  12. straw — to clutch at straws
  13. mine — belonging to me
  14. rest — a break
  15. straw — dry grass
  16. face — to point toward
  17. rest — what's left
  18. rest — what's left
  19. tube — a container
  20. dip — a sauce
  21. tube — in a tire
  22. mine — for digging
  23. drill — army training
  24. tube — the underground

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