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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. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  2. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  3. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  4. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  5. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  6. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  7. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  8. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  9. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  10. Have you settled on a ________________?
  11. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  12. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  13. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  14. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  15. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  16. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  17. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  18. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  19. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  20. What do you think of the new ________________?
  21. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  22. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  23. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  24. She's sitting on a gold ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — army training
  2. rock — to move gently
  3. date — on the calendar
  4. rock — music
  5. trunk — of a car
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. cabinet — a cupboard
  8. mine — an explosive
  9. trunk — of a tree
  10. date — on the calendar
  11. face — part of the head
  12. trunk — of an elephant
  13. racket — a loud noise
  14. rock — a stone
  15. face — to confront
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. face — to point toward
  18. mine — belonging to me
  19. drill — the tool
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. date — the fruit
  23. drill — a practice
  24. mine — for digging

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