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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. The ________________ went through the wall.
  2. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  3. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  4. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  5. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  6. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  7. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  8. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  9. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  10. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  11. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  12. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  13. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  14. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  15. When will it ________________ you to start?
  16. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  17. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  18. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  19. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  20. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  21. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  22. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  23. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  24. We had a fire ________________ at school today.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. drill — army training
  3. deal — a big deal
  4. toast — a drink to someone
  5. wound — an injury
  6. wound — an injury
  7. suit — clothes
  8. nail — on a finger
  9. deal — an agreement
  10. pit — in a race
  11. toast — bread
  12. suit — in cards
  13. drill — the tool
  14. net — in sport
  15. suit — to fit
  16. net — for catching
  17. deal — to handle
  18. pit — a fruit stone
  19. wound — past of 'wind'
  20. net — after costs
  21. toast — the most admired
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. pit — a hole
  24. drill — a practice

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