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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. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  2. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  3. I'll be taking the ________________.
  4. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  5. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  6. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  7. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  8. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  9. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  10. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  11. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  12. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  13. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  14. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  15. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  16. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  17. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  18. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  19. Don't do anything ________________.
  20. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  21. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  22. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  23. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  24. My mare is ________________ in color.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — the tool
  2. bay — to keep at bay
  3. tube — the underground
  4. spring — the season
  5. fine — high quality
  6. spring — a coil
  7. rash — on the skin
  8. toast — bread
  9. rash — a series
  10. spring — of water
  11. tube — in a tire
  12. drill — army training
  13. leaves — to go away
  14. tube — a container
  15. bay — a part of the sea
  16. fine — a penalty
  17. toast — a drink to someone
  18. leaves — of a tree
  19. rash — hasty
  20. drill — a practice
  21. toast — the most admired
  22. fine — all right
  23. leaves — lets stay
  24. bay — a horse colour

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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