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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
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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: net · mine · mug · key · rush · cold · drill · face

  1. This piece is in a major ________________.
  2. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  3. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  4. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  5. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  6. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  7. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  8. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  9. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  10. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  11. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  12. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  13. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  14. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  15. Where did you ________________ them?
  16. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  17. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  18. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  19. The water is too ________________.
  20. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  21. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  22. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  23. That must've been a ________________.
  24. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.

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

Answer key

  1. key — in music
  2. face — part of the head
  3. net — after costs
  4. face — to point toward
  5. net — for catching
  6. key — the most important part
  7. drill — army training
  8. mug — a face
  9. mine — for digging
  10. cold — the Cold War
  11. rush — hurry
  12. drill — the tool
  13. net — in sport
  14. drill — a practice
  15. mug — to rob
  16. mine — an explosive
  17. rush — to hurry
  18. cold — an illness
  19. cold — not warm
  20. face — to confront
  21. key — for a lock
  22. mug — a cup
  23. rush — a thrill
  24. mine — belonging to me

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