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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. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  2. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  3. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  4. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  5. When are we going to ________________?
  6. What do you think of the new ________________?
  7. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  8. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  9. He works in a ________________ mill.
  10. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  11. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  12. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  13. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  14. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  15. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  16. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  17. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  18. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  19. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  20. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  21. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  22. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  23. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  24. She's very handy with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — army training
  2. bank — for money
  3. face — part of the head
  4. face — to point toward
  5. land — to come down
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. wave — a sudden rise
  8. drill — a practice
  9. saw — the tool
  10. squash — the sport
  11. wave — of the sea
  12. face — to confront
  13. land — a country
  14. drill — the tool
  15. bank — for money
  16. squash — to crush
  17. wave — with your hand
  18. bank — of a river
  19. squash — the vegetable
  20. cabinet — a cupboard
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. saw — past of 'see'
  23. land — ground
  24. saw — 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