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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. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  2. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  3. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  4. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  5. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  6. When will it ________________ you to start?
  7. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  8. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  9. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  10. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  11. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  12. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  13. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  14. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  15. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  16. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  17. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  18. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  19. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  20. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  21. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  22. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  23. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  24. False peace will not ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — a practice
  2. face — to confront
  3. last — final
  4. shower — a meteor shower
  5. drill — army training
  6. suit — to fit
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. jam — in traffic
  9. face — to point toward
  10. drill — the tool
  11. last — finally
  12. face — part of the head
  13. suit — clothes
  14. spring — a coil
  15. mouse — for a computer
  16. suit — in cards
  17. shower — to wash
  18. spring — of water
  19. jam — to spread on bread
  20. jam — a tight spot
  21. shower — rain
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. spring — the season
  24. last — to go on

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