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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. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  2. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  3. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  4. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  5. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  6. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  7. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  8. My father caught me by the ________________.
  9. The ________________ took off on time.
  10. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  11. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  12. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  13. When was this ________________ built?
  14. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  15. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  16. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  17. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  18. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  19. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  20. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  21. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  22. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  23. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  24. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — a practice
  2. drill — army training
  3. fine — all right
  4. temple — side of the head
  5. foot — a measure
  6. drill — the tool
  7. hand — in cards
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. plane — an aircraft
  10. foot — part of the body
  11. hand — help
  12. row — a quarrel
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. row — a line
  15. foot — the bottom
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. fine — high quality
  19. plane — a tool
  20. hand — part of the body
  21. plane — in geometry
  22. arm — a part of something
  23. row — to paddle
  24. fine — a penalty

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