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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. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  2. That must've been a ________________.
  3. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  4. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  5. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  6. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  7. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  8. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  9. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  10. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  11. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  12. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  13. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  14. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  15. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  16. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  17. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  18. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  19. It's one o'clock ________________.
  20. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  21. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  22. My mare is ________________ in color.
  23. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  24. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — a practice
  2. rush — a thrill
  3. sharp — with an edge
  4. root — of a word
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. ruler — a monarch
  7. sharp — clever
  8. bass — the instrument
  9. rush — hurry
  10. march — music
  11. bass — the fish
  12. root — the cause
  13. drill — army training
  14. rush — to hurry
  15. drill — the tool
  16. bass — low music
  17. bay — a part of the sea
  18. root — of a plant
  19. sharp — exactly
  20. bay — to keep at bay
  21. march — the month
  22. bay — a horse colour
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. march — the month

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