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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. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  3. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  4. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  5. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  6. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  7. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  8. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  9. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  10. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  11. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  12. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  13. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  14. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  15. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  16. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  17. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  18. That must've been a ________________.
  19. What do you think of the new ________________?
  20. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  21. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  22. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  23. I'll be taking the ________________.
  24. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — a practice
  2. kick — a thrill
  3. kick — in football
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. row — to paddle
  6. rush — to hurry
  7. tube — in a tire
  8. craft — a handicraft
  9. rush — hurry
  10. drill — the tool
  11. kick — with a leg
  12. row — a quarrel
  13. craft — a skill
  14. drill — army training
  15. cabinet — a cupboard
  16. tube — a container
  17. craft — boats
  18. rush — a thrill
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. band — a rubber band
  21. band — a music group
  22. band — a ring
  23. tube — the underground
  24. row — a line

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