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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: kick · sharp · mug · cabinet · band · drill · mate · face

  1. What do you think of the new ________________?
  2. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  3. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  4. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  5. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  6. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  7. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  8. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  9. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  10. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  11. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  12. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  13. Where did you ________________ them?
  14. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  15. It's one o'clock ________________.
  16. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  17. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  18. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  19. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  20. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  21. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  22. Have you found your soul ________________?
  23. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  24. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. kick — in football
  3. drill — the tool
  4. face — to point toward
  5. band — a rubber band
  6. cabinet — a cupboard
  7. face — to confront
  8. mate — to breed
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. mate — a friend
  11. face — part of the head
  12. mug — a cup
  13. mug — to rob
  14. kick — with a leg
  15. sharp — exactly
  16. sharp — clever
  17. band — a ring
  18. kick — a thrill
  19. drill — army training
  20. sharp — with an edge
  21. drill — a practice
  22. mate — a partner
  23. mug — a face
  24. band — a music group

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