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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. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  2. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  3. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  4. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  5. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  6. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  7. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  8. When are we going to ________________?
  9. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  10. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  11. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  12. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  13. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  14. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  15. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  16. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  17. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  18. Have you found your soul ________________?
  19. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  20. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  21. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  22. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  23. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  24. Do you need a ________________ with that?

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

Answer key

  1. face — to point toward
  2. drill — army training
  3. drill — a practice
  4. face — to confront
  5. drill — the tool
  6. hand — part of the body
  7. tear — from crying
  8. land — to come down
  9. object — an aim
  10. trunk — of a car
  11. object — to protest
  12. land — a country
  13. trunk — of an elephant
  14. mate — a friend
  15. face — part of the head
  16. hand — in cards
  17. trunk — of a tree
  18. mate — a partner
  19. object — a thing
  20. tear — from crying
  21. land — ground
  22. tear — to rip
  23. mate — to breed
  24. hand — help

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