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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. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  2. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  3. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  4. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  5. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  6. He works in a ________________ mill.
  7. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  8. Did you ________________ the meat?
  9. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  10. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  11. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  12. Have you met the new head ________________?
  13. She's very handy with a ________________.
  14. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  15. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  16. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  17. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  18. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  19. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  20. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  21. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  22. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  23. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  24. We ________________ up on opposing sides.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — army training
  2. season — of the year
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. wound — an injury
  5. saw — past of 'see'
  6. saw — the tool
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. season — to add flavour
  9. stick — to attach or keep to
  10. cue — a hint
  11. snap — to speak sharply
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. saw — the tool
  14. snap — to click
  15. drill — the tool
  16. cue — a signal
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. snap — to snap out of it
  19. season — in sport
  20. cue — for pool
  21. wound — an injury
  22. drill — a practice
  23. coach — pulled by horses
  24. wound — past of 'wind'

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