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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 120 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. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  2. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  3. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  4. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  5. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  6. That was ________________ to happen.
  7. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  8. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  9. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  10. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  11. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  12. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  13. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  14. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  15. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  16. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  17. Did you ________________ the meat?
  18. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  19. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  20. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  21. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  22. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  23. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  24. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.

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

Answer key

  1. season — of the year
  2. drill — army training
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. drill — the tool
  5. object — to protest
  6. bound — certain
  7. season — in sport
  8. object — an aim
  9. rest — a break
  10. bound — obliged
  11. fork — a garden tool
  12. bound — tied together
  13. rest — what's left
  14. rest — what's left
  15. cap — a hat
  16. mouse — for a computer
  17. season — to add flavour
  18. drill — a practice
  19. fork — in a road
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. cap — of ice
  22. fork — to eat with
  23. cap — a lid
  24. object — a thing

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