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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. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  2. Have you met the new head ________________?
  3. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  4. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  5. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  6. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  7. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  8. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  9. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  10. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  11. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  12. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  13. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  14. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  15. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  16. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  17. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  18. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  19. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  20. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  21. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  22. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  23. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  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. drill — the tool
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. bear — to put up with
  4. row — a line
  5. staff — a stick
  6. file — a document
  7. lean — to rest against
  8. staff — employees
  9. lean — thin
  10. race — the arms race
  11. row — a quarrel
  12. bear — the animal
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. file — a line of people
  15. race — a contest
  16. row — to paddle
  17. drill — army training
  18. bear — the animal
  19. file — a tool
  20. race — humankind
  21. staff — employees
  22. coach — pulled by horses
  23. lean — to bend
  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