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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. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  2. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  3. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  4. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  5. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  6. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  7. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  8. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  9. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  10. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  11. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  12. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  13. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  14. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  15. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  16. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  17. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  18. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  19. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  20. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  21. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  22. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  23. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  24. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — the tool
  2. snap — to snap out of it
  3. can — to be able to
  4. snap — to speak sharply
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. rock — music
  8. stem — of a plant
  9. drill — a practice
  10. stem — to come from
  11. stem — a stem cell
  12. mouse — for a computer
  13. shower — to wash
  14. snap — to click
  15. shower — rain
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. rock — a stone
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. drill — army training
  20. can — a tin
  21. shower — a meteor shower
  22. lie — to recline
  23. rock — to move gently
  24. can — a tin

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