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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 116 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: pop · mark · face · wound · drill · bat · chip · mug

  1. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  2. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  3. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  4. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  5. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  6. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  7. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  8. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  9. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  10. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  11. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  12. You don't need to ________________ round.
  13. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  14. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  15. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  16. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  17. Where did you ________________ them?
  18. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  19. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  20. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  21. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  22. We're almost out of ________________.
  23. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  24. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a face
  2. face — to point toward
  3. bat — the animal
  4. drill — army training
  5. wound — an injury
  6. mark — a trace
  7. drill — the tool
  8. drill — a practice
  9. wound — past of 'wind'
  10. bat — in an idiom
  11. bat — for baseball
  12. pop — to visit
  13. face — part of the head
  14. chip — in a computer
  15. wound — an injury
  16. mug — a cup
  17. mug — to rob
  18. mark — to pay attention
  19. mark — a grade
  20. chip — to eat
  21. chip — for betting
  22. pop — soda
  23. pop — music
  24. face — to confront

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