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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 120 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. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  3. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  4. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  5. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  6. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  7. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  8. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  9. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  10. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  11. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  12. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  13. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  14. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  15. The ________________ went through the wall.
  16. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  17. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  18. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  19. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  20. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  21. Have you met the new head ________________?
  22. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  23. When was this ________________ built?
  24. I don't want to ________________ the boat.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to point toward
  2. deal — an agreement
  3. temple — side of the head
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. rock — music
  6. face — to confront
  7. nail — on a finger
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. drill — army training
  11. drill — a practice
  12. deal — a big deal
  13. face — part of the head
  14. drill — the tool
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. foot — part of the body
  17. deal — to handle
  18. foot — the bottom
  19. rock — a stone
  20. foot — a measure
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. coach — pulled by horses
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. rock — to move gently

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