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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: pop · saw · face · kick · mark · deal · drill · hide

  1. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  2. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  3. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  4. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  5. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  6. She's very handy with a ________________.
  7. We're almost out of ________________.
  8. He works in a ________________ mill.
  9. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  10. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  11. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  12. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  13. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  14. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  15. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  16. You don't need to ________________ round.
  17. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  18. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  19. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  20. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  21. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  22. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  23. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  24. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — music
  2. drill — the tool
  3. face — part of the head
  4. hide — animal skin
  5. kick — with a leg
  6. saw — the tool
  7. pop — soda
  8. saw — the tool
  9. deal — a big deal
  10. saw — past of 'see'
  11. mark — a grade
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. kick — in football
  14. face — to point toward
  15. drill — a practice
  16. pop — to visit
  17. mark — a trace
  18. face — to confront
  19. kick — a thrill
  20. deal — to handle
  21. mark — to pay attention
  22. deal — an agreement
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. drill — army training

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