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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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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: sharp · rash · bay · face · staff · bowl · cell · drill

  1. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  2. Don't do anything ________________.
  3. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  4. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  5. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  6. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  7. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  8. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  9. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  10. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  11. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  12. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  13. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  14. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  15. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  16. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  17. My mare is ________________ in color.
  18. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  19. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  20. It's one o'clock ________________.
  21. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  22. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  23. He was locked up in a ________________.
  24. This knife is not ________________ enough.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to point toward
  2. rash — hasty
  3. drill — a practice
  4. drill — army training
  5. bowl — a football final
  6. drill — the tool
  7. cell — in biology
  8. face — to confront
  9. rash — a series
  10. face — part of the head
  11. cell — a phone
  12. bay — to keep at bay
  13. bowl — a dish
  14. staff — employees
  15. staff — employees
  16. bowl — to roll
  17. bay — a horse colour
  18. rash — on the skin
  19. staff — a stick
  20. sharp — exactly
  21. sharp — clever
  22. bay — a part of the sea
  23. cell — in a prison
  24. sharp — with an edge

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