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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. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  3. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  4. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  5. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  6. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  7. Have you found your soul ________________?
  8. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  9. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  10. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  11. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  12. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  13. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  14. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  15. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  16. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  17. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  18. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  19. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  20. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  21. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  22. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  23. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  24. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — the tool
  2. chair — a professorship
  3. drill — army training
  4. wave — of the sea
  5. deal — an agreement
  6. staff — a stick
  7. mate — a partner
  8. chair — a leader
  9. drill — a practice
  10. bat — in an idiom
  11. mine — for digging
  12. deal — to handle
  13. mate — to breed
  14. chair — to sit on
  15. bat — for baseball
  16. bat — the animal
  17. mine — an explosive
  18. mate — a friend
  19. staff — employees
  20. deal — a big deal
  21. mine — belonging to me
  22. wave — with your hand
  23. staff — employees
  24. wave — a sudden rise

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