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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. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  2. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  3. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  4. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  5. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  6. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  7. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  8. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  9. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  10. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  11. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  12. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  13. When was this ________________ built?
  14. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  15. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  16. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  17. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  18. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  19. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  20. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  21. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  22. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  23. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  24. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — to wash
  2. board — a flat piece
  3. drill — army training
  4. fan — to cool the air
  5. can — to be able to
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. drill — a practice
  8. can — a tin
  9. board — a committee
  10. can — a tin
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. temple — side of the head
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. drill — the tool
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. stick — to attach or keep to
  18. shower — rain
  19. board — to get on
  20. toast — the most admired
  21. toast — bread
  22. toast — a drink to someone
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. shower — a meteor shower

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