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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. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  3. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  4. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  5. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  6. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  7. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  8. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  9. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  10. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  11. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  12. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  13. The ________________ market has crashed.
  14. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  15. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  16. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  17. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  18. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  19. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  20. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  21. He is an ace ________________.
  22. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  23. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  24. The spa offers ________________ extensions.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — the tool
  2. snap — to click
  3. firm — decided
  4. bore — to tire
  5. lash — a whip stroke
  6. lash — to lash out
  7. firm — steady
  8. drill — army training
  9. bore — gave birth
  10. scale — size or range
  11. scale — for weighing
  12. drill — a practice
  13. stock — shares
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. stock — goods
  16. firm — a company
  17. stock — a soup base
  18. bore — to drill
  19. snap — to speak sharply
  20. scale — in music
  21. pitcher — in baseball
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. snap — to snap out of it
  24. lash — an eyelash

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