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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 116 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. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  2. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  3. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  4. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  5. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  6. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  7. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  8. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  9. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  10. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  11. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  12. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  13. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  14. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  15. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  16. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  17. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  18. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  19. There's no middle ________________.
  20. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  21. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  22. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  23. The ________________ went through the wall.
  24. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — army training
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. rule — to rule out
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. drill — a practice
  6. present — a gift
  7. present — there
  8. stick — to attach or keep to
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. rule — government
  11. ground — crushed
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. row — a quarrel
  14. rule — a law
  15. present — the time now
  16. drill — the tool
  17. row — a line
  18. ground — the earth
  19. ground — a position
  20. calf — of the leg
  21. row — to paddle
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. nail — on a finger

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