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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. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  2. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  3. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  4. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  5. It's one o'clock ________________.
  6. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  7. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  8. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  9. The tickets are free of ________________.
  10. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  11. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  12. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  13. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  14. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  15. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  16. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  17. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  18. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  19. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  20. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  21. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  22. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  23. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  24. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — the tool
  2. face — to confront
  3. bank — for money
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. sharp — exactly
  6. charge — electricity
  7. drill — a practice
  8. pound — to hit hard
  9. charge — a price
  10. sharp — clever
  11. bore — gave birth
  12. sharp — with an edge
  13. bore — to tire
  14. bank — of a river
  15. pound — a weight
  16. patient — calm and waiting
  17. bore — to drill
  18. face — to point toward
  19. charge — in control
  20. pound — for dogs
  21. bank — for money
  22. face — part of the head
  23. drill — army training
  24. patient — a sick person

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