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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 116 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. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  3. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  4. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  5. He was locked up in a ________________.
  6. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  7. It's one o'clock ________________.
  8. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  9. The ball is in your ________________.
  10. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  11. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  12. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  13. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  14. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  15. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  16. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  17. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  18. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  19. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  20. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  21. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  22. I'll be taking the ________________.
  23. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  24. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — a practice
  2. sharp — clever
  3. tube — a container
  4. sharp — with an edge
  5. cell — in a prison
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. sharp — exactly
  8. tube — in a tire
  9. court — for sport
  10. cell — in biology
  11. court — of a king
  12. hide — animal skin
  13. drill — the tool
  14. firm — steady
  15. face — to confront
  16. cell — a phone
  17. court — of law
  18. face — part of the head
  19. firm — a company
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. drill — army training
  22. tube — the underground
  23. face — to point toward
  24. firm — decided

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