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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 116 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. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  2. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  3. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  4. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  5. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  6. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  7. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  8. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  9. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  10. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  11. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  12. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  13. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  14. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  15. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  16. The tickets are free of ________________.
  17. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  18. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  19. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  20. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  21. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  22. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  23. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  24. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?

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

Answer key

  1. face — part of the head
  2. net — in sport
  3. mark — to pay attention
  4. drill — a practice
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. drill — the tool
  7. row — a line
  8. face — to confront
  9. pass — a permit
  10. mark — a trace
  11. hide — animal skin
  12. pass — to succeed
  13. charge — electricity
  14. net — for catching
  15. pass — to spend time
  16. charge — a price
  17. row — to paddle
  18. net — after costs
  19. face — to point toward
  20. mark — a grade
  21. charge — in control
  22. drill — army training
  23. row — a quarrel
  24. hide — to keep secret

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