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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: rash · bound · face · cap · nail · bear · drill · straw

  1. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  2. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  3. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  4. The ________________ went through the wall.
  5. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  6. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  7. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  8. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  9. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  10. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  11. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  12. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  13. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  14. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  15. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  16. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  17. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  18. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  19. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  20. Don't do anything ________________.
  21. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  22. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  23. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  24. That was ________________ to happen.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — a practice
  2. bear — the animal
  3. face — to point toward
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. face — part of the head
  6. rash — on the skin
  7. cap — a lid
  8. drill — army training
  9. bound — tied together
  10. rash — a series
  11. face — to confront
  12. nail — on a finger
  13. straw — dry grass
  14. drill — the tool
  15. cap — a hat
  16. cap — of ice
  17. bear — to put up with
  18. bound — obliged
  19. bear — the animal
  20. rash — hasty
  21. straw — to clutch at straws
  22. straw — a straw man
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. bound — certain

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