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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. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  2. That must've been a ________________.
  3. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  4. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  5. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  6. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  7. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  8. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  9. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  10. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  11. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  12. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  13. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  14. False peace will not ________________.
  15. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  16. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  17. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  18. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  19. It's one o'clock ________________.
  20. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  21. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  22. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  23. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  24. Take your time. There's no ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. last — finally
  2. rush — a thrill
  3. sharp — clever
  4. squash — the sport
  5. bore — to drill
  6. board — a committee
  7. bore — to tire
  8. squash — the vegetable
  9. sharp — with an edge
  10. squash — to crush
  11. drill — a practice
  12. bass — low music
  13. last — final
  14. last — to go on
  15. rush — to hurry
  16. drill — army training
  17. drill — the tool
  18. bass — the instrument
  19. sharp — exactly
  20. bass — the fish
  21. board — to get on
  22. board — a flat piece
  23. bore — gave birth
  24. rush — hurry

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