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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: toast · face · drill · saw · kid · dip

  1. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  2. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  3. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  4. He works in a ________________ mill.
  5. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  6. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  7. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  8. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  9. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  10. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  11. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  12. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  13. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  14. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  15. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  16. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  17. She's very handy with a ________________.
  18. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — child
  2. toast — bread
  3. drill — a practice
  4. saw — the tool
  5. drill — the tool
  6. saw — past of 'see'
  7. dip — to sink
  8. dip — to dunk
  9. dip — a sauce
  10. drill — army training
  11. face — part of the head
  12. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  13. toast — the most admired
  14. face — to confront
  15. kid — to tease
  16. toast — a drink to someone
  17. saw — the tool
  18. face — to point toward

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