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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. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  2. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  3. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  4. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  5. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  6. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  7. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  8. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  9. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  10. The ________________ went through the wall.
  11. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  12. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  13. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  14. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  15. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  16. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  17. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  18. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  19. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  20. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  21. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  22. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  23. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  24. He has no idea where the ________________ is.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a tool
  2. drill — army training
  3. bark — to shout
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. face — part of the head
  6. bark — a dog's sound
  7. file — a line of people
  8. nail — on a finger
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. deal — an agreement
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. lie — to recline
  14. drill — the tool
  15. bark — of a tree
  16. face — to confront
  17. deal — to handle
  18. file — a document
  19. drill — a practice
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. deal — a big deal
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. face — to point toward
  24. safe — a strongbox

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