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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. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  3. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  4. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  5. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  6. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  7. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  8. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  9. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  10. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  11. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  12. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  13. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  14. When was this ________________ built?
  15. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  16. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  17. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  18. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  19. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  20. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  21. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  22. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  23. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  24. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — a practice
  2. pass — to succeed
  3. pass — a permit
  4. face — part of the head
  5. cap — a hat
  6. pass — to spend time
  7. cap — of ice
  8. drill — the tool
  9. temple — side of the head
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. hide — animal skin
  12. cap — a lid
  13. drill — army training
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. clip — a video
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. straw — to clutch at straws
  19. face — to point toward
  20. clip — for paper
  21. straw — a straw man
  22. straw — dry grass
  23. face — to confront
  24. clip — to cut

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