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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. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  2. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  3. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  4. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  5. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  6. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  7. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  8. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  9. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  10. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  11. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  12. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  13. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  14. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  15. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  16. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  17. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  18. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  19. The ________________ went through the wall.
  20. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  21. Have you met the new head ________________?
  22. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  23. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  24. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.

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

Answer key

  1. face — part of the head
  2. face — to point toward
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. foot — the bottom
  5. coach — pulled by horses
  6. row — a line
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. face — to confront
  9. drill — a practice
  10. foot — a measure
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. row — a quarrel
  13. pit — a fruit stone
  14. pit — a hole
  15. row — to paddle
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. foot — part of the body
  18. nail — on a finger
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. drill — the tool
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. safe — a strongbox
  23. drill — army training
  24. pit — in a race

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