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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. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  2. Where did you ________________ them?
  3. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  4. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  5. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  6. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  7. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  8. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  9. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  10. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  11. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  12. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  13. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  14. How do you ________________ your surname?
  15. I can't ________________ this cold.
  16. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  17. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  18. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  19. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  20. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  21. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  22. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  23. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  24. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — the tool
  2. mug — to rob
  3. stand — on your feet
  4. toast — the most admired
  5. scale — size or range
  6. spell — a short time
  7. mug — a face
  8. face — to point toward
  9. scale — for weighing
  10. wake — a trail
  11. toast — a drink to someone
  12. stand — for spectators
  13. face — to confront
  14. spell — letters
  15. stand — to bear
  16. wake — to stop sleeping
  17. mug — a cup
  18. drill — army training
  19. drill — a practice
  20. toast — bread
  21. spell — magic
  22. face — part of the head
  23. wake — before a funeral
  24. scale — in music

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