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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 124 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. David sat on the ________________.
  3. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  4. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  5. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  6. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  7. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  8. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  9. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  10. He works in a ________________ mill.
  11. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  12. The ball is in your ________________.
  13. She's very handy with a ________________.
  14. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  15. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  16. Did you ________________ the meat?
  17. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  18. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  19. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  20. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  21. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  22. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  23. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  24. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — the tool
  2. swing — to play on
  3. season — of the year
  4. cap — of ice
  5. court — of law
  6. saw — past of 'see'
  7. cap — a hat
  8. swing — music
  9. hide — animal skin
  10. saw — the tool
  11. staff — employees
  12. court — for sport
  13. saw — the tool
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. season — to add flavour
  17. season — in sport
  18. drill — a practice
  19. drill — army training
  20. swing — in golf
  21. cap — a lid
  22. staff — employees
  23. staff — a stick
  24. court — of a king

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