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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. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  2. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  3. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  4. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  5. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  6. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  7. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  8. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  9. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  10. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  11. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  12. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  13. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  14. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  15. That was a fun ________________.
  16. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  17. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  18. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  19. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  20. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  21. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  22. How do you ________________ your surname?
  23. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  24. She had a strange look on her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to point toward
  2. drill — the tool
  3. foot — part of the body
  4. track — to keep track
  5. track — a path
  6. chest — of your body
  7. drill — army training
  8. game — wild animals
  9. track — a song
  10. chest — of your body
  11. spell — magic
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. spell — a short time
  14. face — to confront
  15. game — a match
  16. mouse — for a computer
  17. foot — a measure
  18. drill — a practice
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. chest — a box
  21. foot — the bottom
  22. spell — letters
  23. game — a kind of play
  24. face — part of the head

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