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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 120 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
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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: game · saw · pit · lash · fine · drill · face · wound

  1. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  2. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  3. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  4. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  5. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  6. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  7. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  8. That was a fun ________________.
  9. He works in a ________________ mill.
  10. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  11. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  12. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  13. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  14. She's very handy with a ________________.
  15. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  16. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  17. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  18. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  19. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  20. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  21. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  22. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  23. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  24. I assure you, everything's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. game — wild animals
  2. drill — the tool
  3. fine — high quality
  4. saw — past of 'see'
  5. face — part of the head
  6. lash — to lash out
  7. drill — army training
  8. game — a match
  9. saw — the tool
  10. pit — a fruit stone
  11. pit — a hole
  12. face — to confront
  13. wound — an injury
  14. saw — the tool
  15. fine — a penalty
  16. lash — an eyelash
  17. pit — in a race
  18. wound — an injury
  19. lash — a whip stroke
  20. face — to point toward
  21. drill — a practice
  22. wound — past of 'wind'
  23. game — a kind of play
  24. fine — all right

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