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

  1. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  2. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  3. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  4. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  5. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  6. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  7. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  8. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  9. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  10. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  11. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  12. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  13. False peace will not ________________.
  14. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  15. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  16. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  17. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  18. At ________________, we arrived at the village.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — a practice
  2. drill — army training
  3. wake — a trail
  4. bore — to drill
  5. wake — to stop sleeping
  6. mark — to pay attention
  7. last — final
  8. deal — an agreement
  9. bore — gave birth
  10. deal — to handle
  11. wake — before a funeral
  12. bore — to tire
  13. last — to go on
  14. mark — a grade
  15. deal — a big deal
  16. mark — a trace
  17. drill — the tool
  18. last — finally

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