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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.

Make a worksheet

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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  2. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  3. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  4. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  5. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  6. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  7. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  8. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  9. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  10. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  11. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  12. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  13. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  14. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  15. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  16. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  17. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  18. Should I buy a wireless ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. fine — a penalty
  2. drill — the tool
  3. patient — calm and waiting
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. drill — a practice
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. shower — rain
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. spring — a coil
  10. fine — high quality
  11. spring — of water
  12. drill — army training
  13. shower — a meteor shower
  14. shower — to wash
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. fine — all right
  17. spring — the season
  18. mouse — for a computer

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