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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 116 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. It's one o'clock ________________.
  2. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  3. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  4. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  5. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  6. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  7. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  8. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  9. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  10. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  11. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  12. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  13. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  14. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  15. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  16. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  17. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  18. False peace will not ________________.
  19. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  20. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  21. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  22. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  23. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  24. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — exactly
  2. face — to confront
  3. drill — a practice
  4. face — part of the head
  5. face — to point toward
  6. sharp — clever
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. sharp — with an edge
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. hide — animal skin
  11. bear — to put up with
  12. trunk — of a tree
  13. last — final
  14. craft — boats
  15. bear — the animal
  16. craft — a handicraft
  17. drill — army training
  18. last — to go on
  19. bear — the animal
  20. trunk — of an elephant
  21. craft — a skill
  22. trunk — of a car
  23. last — finally
  24. drill — the tool

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