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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. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  2. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  3. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  4. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  5. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  6. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  7. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  8. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  9. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  10. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  11. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  12. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  13. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  14. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  15. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  16. It's one o'clock ________________.
  17. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  18. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  19. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  20. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  21. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  22. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  23. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  24. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — to cool the air
  2. drill — army training
  3. firm — a company
  4. drill — a practice
  5. rule — to rule out
  6. rest — a break
  7. present — there
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. sharp — clever
  10. firm — decided
  11. mine — an explosive
  12. present — the time now
  13. rule — government
  14. rest — what's left
  15. rule — a law
  16. sharp — exactly
  17. firm — steady
  18. sharp — with an edge
  19. mine — for digging
  20. drill — the tool
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. present — a gift
  23. mine — belonging to me
  24. rest — what's left

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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