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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 120 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. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  2. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  3. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  4. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  5. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  6. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  7. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  8. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  9. When was this ________________ built?
  10. He works in a ________________ mill.
  11. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  12. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  13. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  14. She's very handy with a ________________.
  15. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  16. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  17. Don't do anything ________________.
  18. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  19. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  20. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  21. When will it ________________ you to start?
  22. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  23. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  24. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — a series
  2. rash — on the skin
  3. face — to point toward
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. suit — clothes
  6. face — part of the head
  7. drill — a practice
  8. suit — in cards
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. saw — the tool
  11. drill — the tool
  12. field — farmland
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. saw — the tool
  15. face — to confront
  16. stick — to attach or keep to
  17. rash — hasty
  18. temple — side of the head
  19. field — a subject
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. suit — to fit
  22. saw — past of 'see'
  23. field — for sport
  24. drill — army training

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