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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: drill · mark · ball · fan · root · face · fall · toast

  1. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  2. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  3. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  4. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  5. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  6. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  7. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  8. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  9. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  10. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  11. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  12. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  13. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  14. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  15. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  16. The King held a masked ________________.
  17. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  18. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  19. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  20. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  21. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  22. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  23. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  24. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — a practice
  2. toast — bread
  3. fall — to drop
  4. mark — to pay attention
  5. drill — the tool
  6. fall — the season
  7. root — of a word
  8. fall — to drop
  9. root — the cause
  10. toast — a drink to someone
  11. face — part of the head
  12. toast — the most admired
  13. mark — a trace
  14. root — of a plant
  15. ball — a round shape
  16. ball — a dance
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. ball — a great time
  19. mark — a grade
  20. drill — army training
  21. fan — to cool the air
  22. face — to confront
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. 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