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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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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: deal · face · band · bark · perch · mug · foot · drill

  1. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  2. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  3. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  4. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  5. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  6. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  7. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  8. Where did you ________________ them?
  9. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  10. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  11. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  12. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  13. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  14. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  15. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  16. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  17. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  18. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  19. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  20. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  21. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  22. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  23. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  24. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — a practice
  2. band — a music group
  3. foot — part of the body
  4. band — a ring
  5. face — to confront
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. bark — of a tree
  8. mug — to rob
  9. bark — a dog's sound
  10. drill — army training
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. face — part of the head
  13. perch — the fish
  14. mug — a cup
  15. deal — an agreement
  16. foot — the bottom
  17. mug — a face
  18. drill — the tool
  19. face — to point toward
  20. bark — to shout
  21. deal — to handle
  22. deal — a big deal
  23. band — a rubber band
  24. foot — a measure

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