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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
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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: bear · drill · saw · object · mug · pitcher · key · face

  1. Where did you ________________ them?
  2. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  3. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  4. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  5. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  6. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  7. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  8. She's very handy with a ________________.
  9. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  10. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  11. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  12. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  13. This piece is in a major ________________.
  14. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  15. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  16. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  17. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  18. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  19. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  20. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  21. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  22. He works in a ________________ mill.
  23. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  24. He is an ace ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — to rob
  2. mug — a cup
  3. mug — a face
  4. face — to confront
  5. drill — army training
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. bear — the animal
  8. saw — the tool
  9. face — to point toward
  10. object — a thing
  11. object — to protest
  12. saw — past of 'see'
  13. key — in music
  14. key — the most important part
  15. object — an aim
  16. face — part of the head
  17. drill — a practice
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. key — for a lock
  20. drill — the tool
  21. bear — the animal
  22. saw — the tool
  23. bear — to put up with
  24. pitcher — in baseball

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