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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. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  2. She's very handy with a ________________.
  3. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  4. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  5. I'll be taking the ________________.
  6. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  7. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  8. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  9. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  10. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  11. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  12. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  13. Where did you ________________ them?
  14. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  15. He works in a ________________ mill.
  16. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  17. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  18. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  19. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  20. This piece is in a major ________________.
  21. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  22. The King held a masked ________________.
  23. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  24. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a face
  2. saw — the tool
  3. mug — a cup
  4. saw — past of 'see'
  5. tube — the underground
  6. key — the most important part
  7. drill — a practice
  8. tube — in a tire
  9. net — after costs
  10. tube — a container
  11. drill — army training
  12. net — in sport
  13. mug — to rob
  14. key — for a lock
  15. saw — the tool
  16. fine — a penalty
  17. fine — all right
  18. drill — the tool
  19. net — for catching
  20. key — in music
  21. ball — a great time
  22. ball — a dance
  23. ball — a round shape
  24. fine — high quality

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