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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. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  3. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  4. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  5. Have you met the new head ________________?
  6. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  7. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  8. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  9. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  10. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  11. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  12. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  13. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  14. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  15. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  16. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  17. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  18. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  19. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  20. My father caught me by the ________________.
  21. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  22. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  23. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  24. He is as ________________ as a wolf.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — a practice
  2. kick — a thrill
  3. drill — the tool
  4. drill — army training
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. chip — in a computer
  8. lean — to rest against
  9. chip — to eat
  10. kick — in football
  11. coach — pulled by horses
  12. chip — for betting
  13. lean — to bend
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. face — part of the head
  16. arm — a part of something
  17. face — to confront
  18. kick — with a leg
  19. rock — to move gently
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. rock — music
  22. rock — a stone
  23. face — to point toward
  24. lean — thin

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