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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. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  2. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  3. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  4. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  5. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  6. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  7. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  8. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  9. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  10. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  11. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  12. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  13. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  14. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  15. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  16. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  17. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  18. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  19. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  20. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  21. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  22. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  23. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  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 — army training
  2. face — to confront
  3. face — part of the head
  4. prune — the fruit
  5. bat — in an idiom
  6. wake — a trail
  7. wake — to stop sleeping
  8. wind — moving air
  9. foot — a measure
  10. face — to point toward
  11. wind — to turn a key
  12. toast — bread
  13. foot — part of the body
  14. wake — before a funeral
  15. drill — a practice
  16. bat — the animal
  17. foot — the bottom
  18. toast — a drink to someone
  19. bat — for baseball
  20. prune — to trim
  21. wind — moving air
  22. toast — the most admired
  23. prune — to trim
  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