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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: fine · drill · bay · cue · bank · kid · face · cap

  1. My mare is ________________ in color.
  2. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  3. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  4. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  5. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  6. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  7. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  8. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  9. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  10. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  11. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  12. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  13. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  14. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  15. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  16. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  17. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  18. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  19. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  20. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  21. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  22. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  23. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  24. We had a fire ________________ at school today.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a horse colour
  2. drill — the tool
  3. bay — to keep at bay
  4. fine — all right
  5. cap — a lid
  6. bay — a part of the sea
  7. kid — to tease
  8. fine — high quality
  9. cap — a hat
  10. cue — a signal
  11. fine — a penalty
  12. face — part of the head
  13. bank — for money
  14. bank — for money
  15. drill — army training
  16. cue — for pool
  17. kid — child
  18. cue — a hint
  19. bank — of a river
  20. face — to confront
  21. cap — of ice
  22. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  23. face — to point toward
  24. drill — a practice

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