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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 · drill · track · key · pit · lie · rush · ruler

  1. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  2. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  3. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  4. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  5. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  6. That must've been a ________________.
  7. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  8. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  9. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  10. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  11. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  12. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  13. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  14. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  15. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  16. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  17. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  18. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  19. This piece is in a major ________________.
  20. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  21. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  22. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  23. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  24. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a fruit stone
  2. rush — hurry
  3. track — to keep track
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. face — to confront
  6. rush — a thrill
  7. ruler — a monarch
  8. key — the most important part
  9. face — part of the head
  10. rush — to hurry
  11. pit — in a race
  12. lie — to recline
  13. track — a song
  14. face — to point toward
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. drill — a practice
  17. track — a path
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. key — in music
  20. pit — a hole
  21. drill — army training
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. drill — the tool
  24. key — for a lock

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