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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. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  2. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  3. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  4. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  5. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  6. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  7. The water is too ________________.
  8. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  9. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  10. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  11. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  12. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  13. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  14. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  15. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  16. When was this ________________ built?
  17. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  18. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  19. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  20. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  21. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  22. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  23. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  24. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — a practice
  2. track — to keep track
  3. cold — an illness
  4. club — for golf
  5. track — a song
  6. lash — to lash out
  7. cold — not warm
  8. track — a path
  9. club — for dancing
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. squash — the vegetable
  12. staff — a stick
  13. drill — army training
  14. temple — side of the head
  15. lash — a whip stroke
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. cold — the Cold War
  18. staff — employees
  19. drill — the tool
  20. club — a group
  21. lash — an eyelash
  22. squash — the sport
  23. squash — to crush
  24. staff — employees

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