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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. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  3. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  4. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  5. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  6. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  7. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  8. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  9. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  10. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  11. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  12. How do you ________________ your surname?
  13. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  14. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  15. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  16. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  17. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  18. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  19. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  20. That must've been a ________________.
  21. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  22. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  23. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  24. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — army training
  2. rush — hurry
  3. staff — employees
  4. vault — in gymnastics
  5. vault — an arched ceiling
  6. spell — a short time
  7. rush — to hurry
  8. staff — employees
  9. present — a gift
  10. track — to keep track
  11. spell — magic
  12. spell — letters
  13. drill — a practice
  14. track — a path
  15. present — the time now
  16. vault — a safe
  17. drill — the tool
  18. chip — in a computer
  19. track — a song
  20. rush — a thrill
  21. chip — to eat
  22. chip — for betting
  23. staff — a stick
  24. present — there

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