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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. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  2. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  3. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  4. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  5. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  6. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  7. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  8. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  9. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  10. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  11. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  12. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  13. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  14. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  15. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  16. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  17. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  18. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  19. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  20. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  21. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  22. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  23. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  24. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — army training
  2. drill — a practice
  3. root — the cause
  4. root — of a plant
  5. file — a document
  6. drill — the tool
  7. scale — in music
  8. scale — size or range
  9. snap — to snap out of it
  10. snap — to speak sharply
  11. tear — from crying
  12. bowl — to roll
  13. scale — for weighing
  14. tear — to rip
  15. tear — from crying
  16. rest — a break
  17. file — a line of people
  18. bowl — a football final
  19. snap — to click
  20. rest — what's left
  21. root — of a word
  22. bowl — a dish
  23. rest — what's left
  24. file — a tool

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