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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. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  2. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  3. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  4. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  5. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  6. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  7. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  8. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  9. It's one o'clock ________________.
  10. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  11. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  12. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  13. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  14. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  15. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  16. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  17. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  18. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  19. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  20. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  21. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  22. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  23. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  24. ________________ you help me carry this box?

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

Answer key

  1. drill — the tool
  2. firm — decided
  3. wound — an injury
  4. deal — an agreement
  5. firm — steady
  6. wound — past of 'wind'
  7. sharp — clever
  8. wound — an injury
  9. sharp — exactly
  10. sharp — with an edge
  11. mine — belonging to me
  12. drill — army training
  13. track — a path
  14. drill — a practice
  15. firm — a company
  16. can — a tin
  17. mine — for digging
  18. track — a song
  19. deal — to handle
  20. track — to keep track
  21. mine — an explosive
  22. can — a tin
  23. deal — a big deal
  24. can — to be able to

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