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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: mug · dip · stand · drill · bat · face · sharp · leaves

  1. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  2. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  3. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  4. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  5. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  6. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  7. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  8. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  9. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  10. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  11. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  12. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  13. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  14. Where did you ________________ them?
  15. I can't ________________ this cold.
  16. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  17. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  18. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  19. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  20. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  21. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  22. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  23. It's one o'clock ________________.
  24. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — in an idiom
  2. leaves — lets stay
  3. stand — on your feet
  4. drill — the tool
  5. sharp — clever
  6. face — part of the head
  7. mug — a cup
  8. face — to confront
  9. face — to point toward
  10. bat — the animal
  11. leaves — to go away
  12. drill — a practice
  13. stand — for spectators
  14. mug — to rob
  15. stand — to bear
  16. dip — to sink
  17. dip — to dunk
  18. dip — a sauce
  19. sharp — with an edge
  20. bat — for baseball
  21. drill — army training
  22. leaves — of a tree
  23. sharp — exactly
  24. mug — a face

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