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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. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  2. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  3. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  4. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  5. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  6. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  7. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  8. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  9. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  10. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  11. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  12. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  13. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  14. The ________________ went through the wall.
  15. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  16. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  17. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  18. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  19. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  20. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  21. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  22. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  23. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  24. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — an agreement
  2. march — the month
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. nail — on a finger
  5. drill — army training
  6. hide — animal skin
  7. deal — a big deal
  8. deal — to handle
  9. march — music
  10. drill — the tool
  11. snap — to click
  12. march — the month
  13. drill — a practice
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. bear — the animal
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. snap — to snap out of it
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. bear — to put up with
  20. mark — a grade
  21. mark — a trace
  22. mark — to pay attention
  23. bear — the animal
  24. snap — to speak sharply

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