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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. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  2. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  3. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  4. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  5. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  6. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  7. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  8. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  9. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  10. When was this ________________ built?
  11. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  12. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  13. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  14. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  15. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  16. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  17. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  18. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  19. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  20. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  21. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  22. I'll be taking the ________________.
  23. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  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. face — to point toward
  2. drill — a practice
  3. safe — a strongbox
  4. pitch — completely
  5. tube — a container
  6. temple — side of the head
  7. file — a tool
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. chest — of your body
  12. pitch — a sales talk
  13. face — to confront
  14. file — a line of people
  15. drill — the tool
  16. file — a document
  17. face — part of the head
  18. chest — a box
  19. chest — of your body
  20. pitch — a sports field
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. tube — the underground
  23. tube — in a tire
  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