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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. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  2. It's one o'clock ________________.
  3. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  4. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  5. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  6. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  7. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  8. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  9. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  10. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  11. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  12. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  13. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  14. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  15. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  16. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  17. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  18. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  19. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  20. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  21. Have you found your soul ________________?
  22. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  23. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  24. The ________________ went through the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — high quality
  2. sharp — exactly
  3. face — to point toward
  4. drill — army training
  5. mate — a friend
  6. fine — a penalty
  7. drill — a practice
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. mate — to breed
  10. sharp — with an edge
  11. branch — of a tree
  12. sharp — clever
  13. drill — the tool
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. face — part of the head
  16. face — to confront
  17. nail — on a finger
  18. branch — of a bank
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. fine — all right
  21. mate — a partner
  22. stick — to attach or keep to
  23. branch — a division
  24. nail — for a hammer

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