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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. I can't ________________ this cold.
  2. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  3. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  4. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  5. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  6. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  7. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  8. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  9. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  10. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  11. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  12. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  13. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  14. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  15. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  16. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  17. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  18. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  19. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  20. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  21. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  22. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  23. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  24. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — to bear
  2. drill — the tool
  3. face — part of the head
  4. lash — to lash out
  5. lash — a whip stroke
  6. lash — an eyelash
  7. rock — music
  8. bowl — a football final
  9. face — to point toward
  10. rock — a stone
  11. calf — of the leg
  12. drill — a practice
  13. bowl — a dish
  14. face — to confront
  15. rock — to move gently
  16. stand — for spectators
  17. spring — a coil
  18. spring — of water
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. bowl — to roll
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. stand — on your feet
  23. spring — the season
  24. drill — army training

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