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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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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: bay · mouse · hide · face · deal · foot · drill · pass

  1. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  2. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  3. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  4. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  5. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  6. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  7. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  8. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  9. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  10. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  11. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  12. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  13. My mare is ________________ in color.
  14. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  15. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  16. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  17. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  18. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  19. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  20. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  21. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  22. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  23. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  24. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to confront
  2. pass — to succeed
  3. deal — to handle
  4. hide — animal skin
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. face — part of the head
  7. bay — a part of the sea
  8. pass — a permit
  9. mouse — for a computer
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. foot — part of the body
  12. foot — a measure
  13. bay — a horse colour
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. drill — a practice
  16. drill — the tool
  17. drill — army training
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. deal — a big deal
  20. foot — the bottom
  21. face — to point toward
  22. bay — to keep at bay
  23. pass — to spend time
  24. deal — an agreement

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