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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: stick · deal · mark · present · hand · drill · bound · face

  1. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  2. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  3. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  4. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  5. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  6. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  7. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  8. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  9. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  10. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  11. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  12. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  13. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  14. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  15. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  16. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  17. That was ________________ to happen.
  18. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  19. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  20. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  21. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  22. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  23. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  24. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — part of the body
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. present — there
  4. deal — a big deal
  5. bound — obliged
  6. deal — an agreement
  7. face — part of the head
  8. deal — to handle
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. face — to confront
  11. drill — army training
  12. mark — to pay attention
  13. mark — a grade
  14. drill — a practice
  15. hand — help
  16. mark — a trace
  17. bound — certain
  18. present — the time now
  19. bound — tied together
  20. present — a gift
  21. drill — the tool
  22. hand — in cards
  23. stick — to attach or keep to
  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