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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. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  3. The King held a masked ________________.
  4. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  5. When will it ________________ you to start?
  6. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  7. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  8. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  9. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  10. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  11. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  12. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  13. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  14. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  15. False peace will not ________________.
  16. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  17. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  18. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  19. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  20. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  21. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  22. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  23. Don't do anything ________________.
  24. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — the tool
  2. last — final
  3. ball — a dance
  4. drill — a practice
  5. suit — to fit
  6. suit — in cards
  7. chest — a box
  8. deal — to handle
  9. rash — on the skin
  10. last — finally
  11. chest — of your body
  12. deal — an agreement
  13. present — there
  14. suit — clothes
  15. last — to go on
  16. ball — a great time
  17. chest — of your body
  18. ball — a round shape
  19. drill — army training
  20. rash — a series
  21. present — the time now
  22. present — a gift
  23. rash — hasty
  24. deal — a big deal

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