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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. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  2. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  3. Have you met the new head ________________?
  4. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  5. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  6. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  7. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  8. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  9. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  10. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  11. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  12. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  13. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  14. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  15. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  16. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  17. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  18. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  19. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  20. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  21. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  22. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  23. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  24. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — for a computer
  2. drill — the tool
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. face — part of the head
  6. snap — to snap out of it
  7. firm — a company
  8. wave — with your hand
  9. drill — army training
  10. snap — to click
  11. firm — steady
  12. wave — a sudden rise
  13. march — the month
  14. face — to confront
  15. face — to point toward
  16. drill — a practice
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. wave — of the sea
  19. coach — pulled by horses
  20. snap — to speak sharply
  21. march — music
  22. march — the month
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. firm — decided

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