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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. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  3. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  4. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  5. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  6. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  7. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  8. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  9. My mare is ________________ in color.
  10. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  11. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  12. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  13. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  14. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  15. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  16. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  17. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  18. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  19. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  20. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  21. Have you settled on a ________________?
  22. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  23. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  24. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — a practice
  2. present — a gift
  3. kick — a thrill
  4. object — an aim
  5. bay — a part of the sea
  6. present — there
  7. chip — to eat
  8. drill — army training
  9. bay — a horse colour
  10. present — the time now
  11. chip — in a computer
  12. date — the fruit
  13. face — part of the head
  14. kick — with a leg
  15. face — to point toward
  16. face — to confront
  17. chip — for betting
  18. object — to protest
  19. bay — to keep at bay
  20. date — on the calendar
  21. date — on the calendar
  22. object — a thing
  23. kick — in football
  24. drill — the tool

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