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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. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  2. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  3. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  4. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  5. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  6. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  7. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  8. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  9. I'll be taking the ________________.
  10. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  11. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  12. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  13. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  14. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  15. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  16. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  17. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  18. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  19. Where did you ________________ them?
  20. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  21. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  22. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  23. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  24. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — the tool
  2. chest — a box
  3. tube — in a tire
  4. pound — for dogs
  5. drill — army training
  6. chest — of your body
  7. race — a contest
  8. chest — of your body
  9. tube — the underground
  10. pound — a weight
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. race — the arms race
  13. tube — a container
  14. cap — of ice
  15. cap — a hat
  16. cap — a lid
  17. mug — a face
  18. drill — a practice
  19. mug — to rob
  20. perch — the fish
  21. race — humankind
  22. mug — a cup
  23. pound — to hit hard
  24. perch — for a bird

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