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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 · hide · band · face · key · race · perch · mouse

  1. This piece is in a major ________________.
  2. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  3. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  4. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  5. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  6. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  7. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  8. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  9. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  10. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  11. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  12. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  13. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  14. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  15. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  16. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  17. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  18. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  19. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  20. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  21. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  22. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  23. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  24. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. key — in music
  2. drill — army training
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. face — to confront
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. band — a music group
  7. race — a contest
  8. race — the arms race
  9. face — to point toward
  10. face — part of the head
  11. key — for a lock
  12. band — a rubber band
  13. perch — the fish
  14. band — a ring
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. drill — a practice
  17. key — the most important part
  18. drill — the tool
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. mouse — for a computer
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. hide — animal skin
  24. race — humankind

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