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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.

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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: drill · game · spell · rest · firm · staff · saw · face

  1. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  2. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  3. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  4. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  5. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  6. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  7. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  8. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  9. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  10. That was a fun ________________.
  11. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  12. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  13. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  14. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  15. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  16. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  17. He works in a ________________ mill.
  18. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  19. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  20. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  21. How do you ________________ your surname?
  22. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  23. She's very handy with a ________________.
  24. The old man leaned on his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — past of 'see'
  2. rest — a break
  3. face — to point toward
  4. face — to confront
  5. drill — the tool
  6. game — wild animals
  7. staff — employees
  8. spell — a short time
  9. rest — what's left
  10. game — a match
  11. face — part of the head
  12. staff — employees
  13. rest — what's left
  14. game — a kind of play
  15. drill — a practice
  16. firm — steady
  17. saw — the tool
  18. spell — magic
  19. firm — decided
  20. drill — army training
  21. spell — letters
  22. firm — a company
  23. saw — the tool
  24. staff — a stick

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