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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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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: present · fall · firm · drill · pound · face · arm · hide

  1. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  2. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  3. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  4. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  5. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  6. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  7. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  8. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  9. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  10. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  11. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  12. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  13. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  14. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  15. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  16. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  17. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  18. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  19. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  20. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  21. My father caught me by the ________________.
  22. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  23. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  24. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — a company
  2. drill — the tool
  3. drill — a practice
  4. face — to confront
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. pound — to hit hard
  7. fall — to drop
  8. pound — for dogs
  9. present — a gift
  10. firm — decided
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. arm — a part of something
  13. hide — animal skin
  14. present — there
  15. drill — army training
  16. fall — to drop
  17. fall — the season
  18. present — the time now
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. firm — steady
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. pound — a weight
  23. face — part of the head
  24. face — to point toward

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