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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. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  2. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  3. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  4. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  5. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  6. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  7. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  8. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  9. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  10. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  11. I'll be taking the ________________.
  12. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  13. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  14. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  15. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  16. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  17. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  18. I can't ________________ this cold.
  19. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  20. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  21. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  22. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  23. Don't do anything ________________.
  24. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.

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. snap — to speak sharply
  4. tube — a container
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. stand — for spectators
  7. stand — on your feet
  8. snap — to click
  9. ruler — a monarch
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. tube — the underground
  12. mouse — for a computer
  13. rash — on the skin
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. snap — to snap out of it
  17. tube — in a tire
  18. stand — to bear
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. fan — to cool the air
  21. rash — a series
  22. drill — the tool
  23. rash — hasty
  24. ruler — for measuring

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