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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: face · arm · season · rash · ruler · spell · drill · foot

  1. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  2. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  3. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  4. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  5. My father caught me by the ________________.
  6. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  7. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  8. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  9. Did you ________________ the meat?
  10. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  11. How do you ________________ your surname?
  12. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  13. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  14. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  15. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  16. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  17. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  18. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  19. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  20. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  21. Don't do anything ________________.
  22. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  23. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  24. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — army training
  2. drill — the tool
  3. rash — a series
  4. foot — the bottom
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. face — part of the head
  7. rash — on the skin
  8. season — in sport
  9. season — to add flavour
  10. arm — a part of something
  11. spell — letters
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. season — of the year
  14. drill — a practice
  15. face — to confront
  16. spell — a short time
  17. spell — magic
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. face — to point toward
  20. foot — a measure
  21. rash — hasty
  22. foot — part of the body
  23. ruler — a monarch
  24. ruler — for measuring

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