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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 120 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. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  3. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  4. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  5. Did you ________________ the meat?
  6. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  7. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  8. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  9. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  10. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  11. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  12. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  13. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  14. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  15. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  16. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  17. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  18. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  19. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  20. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  21. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  22. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  23. I'll be taking the ________________.
  24. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — army training
  2. lean — to bend
  3. scale — in music
  4. tear — to rip
  5. season — to add flavour
  6. current — happening now
  7. rest — what's left
  8. drill — the tool
  9. current — of water
  10. lean — to rest against
  11. scale — size or range
  12. season — of the year
  13. tear — from crying
  14. rest — what's left
  15. lean — thin
  16. rest — a break
  17. tear — from crying
  18. scale — for weighing
  19. tube — in a tire
  20. season — in sport
  21. drill — a practice
  22. tube — a container
  23. tube — the underground
  24. current — electric

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