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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. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  3. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  4. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  5. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  6. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  7. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  8. That must've been a ________________.
  9. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  10. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  11. He works in a ________________ mill.
  12. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  13. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  14. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  15. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  16. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  17. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  18. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  19. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  20. She's very handy with a ________________.
  21. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  22. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  23. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  24. I have a corn on my right ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — a practice
  2. foot — a measure
  3. toast — the most admired
  4. wave — a sudden rise
  5. wave — of the sea
  6. rush — to hurry
  7. clip — to cut
  8. rush — a thrill
  9. pit — in a race
  10. foot — the bottom
  11. saw — the tool
  12. wave — with your hand
  13. pit — a hole
  14. clip — for paper
  15. drill — the tool
  16. rush — hurry
  17. toast — a drink to someone
  18. toast — bread
  19. clip — a video
  20. saw — the tool
  21. saw — past of 'see'
  22. drill — army training
  23. pit — a fruit stone
  24. foot — part of the body

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