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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 captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  3. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  4. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  5. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  6. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  7. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  8. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  9. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  10. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  11. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  12. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  13. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  14. I've got to change the light ________________.
  15. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  16. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  17. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  18. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  19. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  20. That must've been a ________________.
  21. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  22. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  23. The light ________________ burned out.
  24. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — the tool
  2. board — to get on
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. rush — to hurry
  5. hand — part of the body
  6. hand — in cards
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. board — a flat piece
  9. hand — help
  10. drill — a practice
  11. safe — a strongbox
  12. board — a committee
  13. bulb — of a plant
  14. bulb — for light
  15. pitch — a sales talk
  16. pitch — a sports field
  17. tear — to rip
  18. tear — from crying
  19. rush — hurry
  20. rush — a thrill
  21. pitch — completely
  22. drill — army training
  23. bulb — for light
  24. tear — from crying

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