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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: rest · straw · face · roll · fine · pop · snap · drill

  1. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  2. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  3. You don't need to ________________ round.
  4. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  5. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  6. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  7. We're on a ________________ here.
  8. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  9. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  10. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  11. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  12. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  13. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  14. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  15. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  16. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  17. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  18. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  19. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  20. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  21. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  22. We're almost out of ________________.
  23. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  24. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. drill — army training
  3. pop — to visit
  4. rest — what's left
  5. snap — to snap out of it
  6. drill — the tool
  7. roll — on a roll
  8. snap — to speak sharply
  9. fine — high quality
  10. drill — a practice
  11. rest — a break
  12. face — part of the head
  13. straw — a straw man
  14. pop — music
  15. straw — to clutch at straws
  16. roll — a list
  17. straw — dry grass
  18. roll — a cake
  19. face — to confront
  20. snap — to click
  21. face — to point toward
  22. pop — soda
  23. fine — all right
  24. fine — a penalty

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