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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. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  3. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  4. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  5. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  6. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  7. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  8. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  9. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  10. That was a fun ________________.
  11. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  12. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  13. The water is too ________________.
  14. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  15. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  16. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  17. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  18. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  19. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  20. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  21. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  22. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  23. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  24. We have nothing to ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — a practice
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. firm — decided
  4. bank — for money
  5. drill — army training
  6. firm — a company
  7. cold — the Cold War
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. can — a tin
  10. game — a match
  11. can — to be able to
  12. game — a kind of play
  13. cold — not warm
  14. can — a tin
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. firm — steady
  17. bank — of a river
  18. game — wild animals
  19. ruler — a monarch
  20. cold — an illness
  21. hide — animal skin
  22. drill — the tool
  23. bank — for money
  24. hide — to keep secret

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