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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. When are we going to ________________?
  2. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  3. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  4. Have you met the new head ________________?
  5. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  6. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  7. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  8. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  9. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  10. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  11. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  12. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  13. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  14. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  15. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  16. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  17. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  18. Where did you ________________ them?
  19. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  20. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  21. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  22. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  23. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  24. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.

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

Answer key

  1. land — to come down
  2. drill — the tool
  3. drill — a practice
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. wake — a trail
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. can — a tin
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. land — ground
  10. drill — army training
  11. content — the amount
  12. content — happy
  13. mug — a face
  14. wake — to stop sleeping
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. can — to be able to
  17. mug — a cup
  18. mug — to rob
  19. can — a tin
  20. wake — before a funeral
  21. land — a country
  22. content — videos and posts
  23. coach — pulled by horses
  24. patient — calm and waiting

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