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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. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  3. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  4. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  5. That must've been a ________________.
  6. The ________________ went through the wall.
  7. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  8. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  9. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  10. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  11. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  12. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  13. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  14. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  15. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  16. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  17. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  18. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  19. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  20. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  21. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  22. When was this ________________ built?
  23. David sat on the ________________.
  24. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — a practice
  2. nail — on a finger
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. bass — the fish
  5. rush — a thrill
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. march — the month
  8. fan — to cool the air
  9. bass — the instrument
  10. swing — in golf
  11. march — the month
  12. temple — side of the head
  13. rush — to hurry
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. drill — army training
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. swing — music
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. drill — the tool
  20. march — music
  21. rush — hurry
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. swing — to play on
  24. bass — low music

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