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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. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  2. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  3. Did you ________________ the meat?
  4. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  5. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  6. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  7. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  8. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  9. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  10. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  11. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  12. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  13. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  14. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  15. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  16. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  17. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  18. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  19. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  20. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  21. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  22. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  23. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  24. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — a practice
  2. season — of the year
  3. season — to add flavour
  4. drill — army training
  5. capital — a city
  6. foot — the bottom
  7. foot — part of the body
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. staff — employees
  10. season — in sport
  11. capital — a big letter
  12. staff — employees
  13. fall — to drop
  14. face — part of the head
  15. foot — a measure
  16. face — to confront
  17. capital — money
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. fall — the season
  20. staff — a stick
  21. face — to point toward
  22. drill — the tool
  23. patient — calm and waiting
  24. fall — to drop

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