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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. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  4. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  5. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  6. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  7. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  8. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  9. You don't need to ________________ round.
  10. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  11. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  12. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  13. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  14. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  15. How do you ________________ your surname?
  16. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  17. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  18. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  19. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  20. We're almost out of ________________.
  21. Have you met the new head ________________?
  22. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  23. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  24. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.

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. coach — a trainer
  4. coach — pulled by horses
  5. chair — a professorship
  6. spell — a short time
  7. face — part of the head
  8. wave — with your hand
  9. pop — to visit
  10. wound — past of 'wind'
  11. wound — an injury
  12. wave — a sudden rise
  13. pop — music
  14. face — to point toward
  15. spell — letters
  16. chair — to sit on
  17. chair — a leader
  18. drill — the tool
  19. wound — an injury
  20. pop — soda
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. wave — of the sea
  23. spell — magic
  24. drill — army training

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