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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. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  2. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  3. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  4. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  5. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  6. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  7. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  8. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  9. He works in a ________________ mill.
  10. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  11. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  12. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  13. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  14. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  15. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  16. She's very handy with a ________________.
  17. Don't do anything ________________.
  18. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  19. This piece is in a major ________________.
  20. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  21. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  22. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  23. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  24. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?

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

Answer key

  1. drill — a practice
  2. saw — past of 'see'
  3. lie — to recline
  4. foot — part of the body
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. drill — army training
  7. key — the most important part
  8. row — a line
  9. saw — the tool
  10. scale — for weighing
  11. drill — the tool
  12. row — a quarrel
  13. scale — size or range
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. scale — in music
  16. saw — the tool
  17. rash — hasty
  18. rash — a series
  19. key — in music
  20. foot — the bottom
  21. rash — on the skin
  22. row — to paddle
  23. foot — a measure
  24. key — for a lock

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