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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 · row · jam · rock · mouse · hand · chair · drill

  1. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  2. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  3. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  4. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  5. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  6. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  7. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  8. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  9. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  10. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  11. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  12. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  13. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  14. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  15. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  16. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  17. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  18. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  19. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  20. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  21. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  22. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  23. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  24. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — a practice
  2. row — a quarrel
  3. hand — in cards
  4. rock — music
  5. mouse — for a computer
  6. face — to point toward
  7. chair — to sit on
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. face — to confront
  10. hand — help
  11. jam — a tight spot
  12. hand — part of the body
  13. row — a line
  14. drill — army training
  15. chair — a leader
  16. row — to paddle
  17. drill — the tool
  18. jam — to spread on bread
  19. rock — to move gently
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. face — part of the head
  22. chair — a professorship
  23. rock — a stone
  24. jam — in traffic

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