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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 120 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. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  3. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  4. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  5. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  6. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  7. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  8. I'll be taking the ________________.
  9. He works in a ________________ mill.
  10. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  11. When are we going to ________________?
  12. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  13. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  14. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  15. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  16. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  17. She's very handy with a ________________.
  18. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  19. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  20. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  21. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  22. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  23. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  24. We have nothing to ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — the tool
  2. pit — in a race
  3. hide — animal skin
  4. tube — a container
  5. drill — army training
  6. cue — for pool
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. tube — the underground
  9. saw — the tool
  10. land — a country
  11. land — to come down
  12. pit — a hole
  13. scale — for weighing
  14. cue — a hint
  15. land — ground
  16. tube — in a tire
  17. saw — the tool
  18. drill — a practice
  19. scale — in music
  20. scale — size or range
  21. saw — past of 'see'
  22. cue — a signal
  23. pit — a fruit stone
  24. hide — to keep secret

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