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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.

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: hide · face · content · track · deal · current · drill · cold

  1. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  2. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  3. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  4. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  5. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  6. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  7. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  8. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  9. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  10. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  11. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  12. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  13. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  14. The water is too ________________.
  15. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  16. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  17. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  18. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  19. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  20. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  21. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  22. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  23. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  24. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. content — happy
  3. track — a path
  4. face — to confront
  5. deal — to handle
  6. cold — the Cold War
  7. drill — a practice
  8. face — part of the head
  9. drill — army training
  10. content — videos and posts
  11. current — electric
  12. current — of water
  13. hide — animal skin
  14. cold — not warm
  15. content — the amount
  16. drill — the tool
  17. cold — an illness
  18. track — a song
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. deal — a big deal
  21. track — to keep track
  22. face — to point toward
  23. deal — an agreement
  24. current — happening now

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