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

Word bank: drill · racket · mate · face · stick · dip · craft · present

  1. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  2. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  3. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  4. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  5. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  6. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  7. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  8. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  9. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  10. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  11. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  12. Have you found your soul ________________?
  13. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  14. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  15. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  16. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  17. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  18. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  19. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  20. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  21. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  22. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  23. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  24. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?

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

Answer key

  1. mate — to breed
  2. racket — a loud noise
  3. present — the time now
  4. stick — to attach or keep to
  5. dip — to sink
  6. mate — a friend
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. dip — a sauce
  9. face — to confront
  10. face — part of the head
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. mate — a partner
  13. dip — to dunk
  14. face — to point toward
  15. craft — boats
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. craft — a skill
  18. drill — the tool
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. present — there
  21. craft — a handicraft
  22. drill — a practice
  23. drill — army training
  24. present — a gift

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