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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. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  2. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  3. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  4. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  5. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  6. Have you found your soul ________________?
  7. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  8. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  9. My father caught me by the ________________.
  10. The ________________ market has crashed.
  11. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  12. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  13. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  14. Have you settled on a ________________?
  15. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  16. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  17. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  18. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  19. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  20. Don't do anything ________________.
  21. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  22. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  23. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  24. He is as ________________ as a wolf.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — army training
  2. drill — the tool
  3. spring — the season
  4. drill — a practice
  5. spring — of water
  6. mate — a partner
  7. date — the fruit
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. stock — shares
  11. date — on the calendar
  12. arm — a part of something
  13. spring — a coil
  14. date — on the calendar
  15. rash — on the skin
  16. stock — goods
  17. stock — a soup base
  18. mate — a friend
  19. mate — to breed
  20. rash — hasty
  21. rash — a series
  22. lean — to rest against
  23. lean — to bend
  24. lean — thin

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