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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. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  3. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  4. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  5. We're almost out of ________________.
  6. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  7. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  8. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  9. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  10. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  11. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  12. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  13. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  14. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  15. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  16. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  17. You don't need to ________________ round.
  18. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  19. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  20. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  21. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  22. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  23. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  24. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — the tool
  2. cap — of ice
  3. bat — the animal
  4. cap — a hat
  5. pop — soda
  6. drill — army training
  7. pop — music
  8. lash — to lash out
  9. stick — to attach or keep to
  10. drill — a practice
  11. straw — to clutch at straws
  12. cap — a lid
  13. racket — a loud noise
  14. straw — a straw man
  15. lash — an eyelash
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. pop — to visit
  18. straw — dry grass
  19. bat — for baseball
  20. lash — a whip stroke
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. bat — in an idiom
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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