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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. She's very handy with a ________________.
  2. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  3. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  4. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  5. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  6. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  7. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  8. He is an ace ________________.
  9. Have you found your soul ________________?
  10. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  11. He works in a ________________ mill.
  12. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  13. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  14. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  15. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  16. Have you settled on a ________________?
  17. Don't do anything ________________.
  18. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  19. That was ________________ to happen.
  20. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  21. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  22. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  23. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  24. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. saw — past of 'see'
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. bound — obliged
  5. bound — tied together
  6. drill — a practice
  7. mate — to breed
  8. pitcher — in baseball
  9. mate — a partner
  10. date — the fruit
  11. saw — the tool
  12. foot — the bottom
  13. foot — part of the body
  14. rash — on the skin
  15. rash — a series
  16. date — on the calendar
  17. rash — hasty
  18. date — on the calendar
  19. bound — certain
  20. drill — army training
  21. foot — a measure
  22. drill — the tool
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. mate — a friend

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