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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. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  2. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  3. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  4. How do you ________________ your surname?
  5. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  6. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  7. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  8. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  9. When was this ________________ built?
  10. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  11. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  12. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  13. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  14. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  15. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  16. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  17. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  18. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  19. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  20. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  21. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  22. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  23. False peace will not ________________.
  24. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to speak sharply
  2. face — to point toward
  3. drill — army training
  4. spell — letters
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. snap — to click
  7. temple — side of the head
  8. spell — a short time
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. lean — thin
  11. face — to confront
  12. drill — a practice
  13. snap — to snap out of it
  14. fall — to drop
  15. face — part of the head
  16. fall — the season
  17. spell — magic
  18. drill — the tool
  19. fall — to drop
  20. lean — to bend
  21. lean — to rest against
  22. last — finally
  23. last — to go on
  24. last — final

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