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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
468
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 · leaves · stick · key · club · face · squash · hand

  1. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  2. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  3. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  4. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  5. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  6. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  7. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  8. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  9. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  10. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  11. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  12. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  13. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  14. This piece is in a major ________________.
  15. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  16. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  17. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  18. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  19. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  20. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  21. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  22. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  23. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  24. Do you need a ________________ with that?

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

Answer key

  1. face — to point toward
  2. club — a group
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. leaves — lets stay
  5. club — for golf
  6. club — for dancing
  7. face — part of the head
  8. face — to confront
  9. key — the most important part
  10. leaves — of a tree
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. leaves — to go away
  13. squash — the sport
  14. key — in music
  15. drill — the tool
  16. squash — the vegetable
  17. drill — army training
  18. stick — to attach or keep to
  19. hand — part of the body
  20. drill — a practice
  21. key — for a lock
  22. squash — to crush
  23. hand — in cards
  24. hand — help

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