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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. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  2. She's very handy with a ________________.
  3. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  4. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  5. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  6. My mare is ________________ in color.
  7. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  8. The ________________ went through the wall.
  9. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  10. He works in a ________________ mill.
  11. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  12. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  13. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  14. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  15. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  16. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  17. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  18. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  19. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  20. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  21. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  22. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  23. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  24. We had a fire ________________ at school today.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — army training
  2. saw — the tool
  3. bay — a part of the sea
  4. rock — to move gently
  5. staff — a stick
  6. bay — a horse colour
  7. rock — a stone
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. nail — on a finger
  10. saw — the tool
  11. race — a contest
  12. rock — music
  13. staff — employees
  14. cue — a signal
  15. staff — employees
  16. cue — a hint
  17. race — the arms race
  18. race — humankind
  19. bay — to keep at bay
  20. cue — for pool
  21. drill — the tool
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. saw — past of 'see'
  24. drill — a practice

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