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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 116 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: drill · cold · staff · present · mate · bore · face · spell

  1. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  2. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  3. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  4. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  5. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  6. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  7. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  8. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  9. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  10. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  11. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  12. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  13. How do you ________________ your surname?
  14. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  15. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  16. Have you found your soul ________________?
  17. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  18. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  19. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  20. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  21. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  22. The water is too ________________.
  23. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  24. She had a strange look on her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — army training
  2. spell — a short time
  3. cold — the Cold War
  4. face — to point toward
  5. mate — a friend
  6. present — there
  7. present — a gift
  8. present — the time now
  9. staff — employees
  10. mate — to breed
  11. spell — magic
  12. drill — the tool
  13. spell — letters
  14. drill — a practice
  15. bore — to tire
  16. mate — a partner
  17. face — to confront
  18. cold — an illness
  19. bore — gave birth
  20. bore — to drill
  21. staff — a stick
  22. cold — not warm
  23. staff — employees
  24. face — part of the head

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