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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 ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  2. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  3. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  4. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  5. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  6. She's very handy with a ________________.
  7. Don't do anything ________________.
  8. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  9. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  10. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  11. He works in a ________________ mill.
  12. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  13. When are we going to ________________?
  14. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  15. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  16. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  17. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  18. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  19. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  20. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  21. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  22. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  23. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  24. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — past of 'see'
  2. rash — a series
  3. rash — on the skin
  4. stick — to attach or keep to
  5. drill — army training
  6. saw — the tool
  7. rash — hasty
  8. toast — a drink to someone
  9. drill — the tool
  10. row — a quarrel
  11. saw — the tool
  12. toast — bread
  13. land — to come down
  14. row — a line
  15. toast — the most admired
  16. drill — a practice
  17. land — a country
  18. row — to paddle
  19. land — ground
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. bore — to tire
  22. bore — gave birth
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. bore — to drill

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