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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. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  2. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  3. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  4. The ________________ went through the wall.
  5. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  6. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  7. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  8. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  9. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  10. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  11. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  12. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  13. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  14. Have you found your soul ________________?
  15. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  16. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  17. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  18. This piece is in a major ________________.
  19. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  20. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  21. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  22. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  23. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  24. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. bat — for baseball
  3. straw — to clutch at straws
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. deal — to handle
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. deal — a big deal
  8. fall — the season
  9. fall — to drop
  10. drill — a practice
  11. straw — a straw man
  12. mate — a friend
  13. drill — army training
  14. mate — a partner
  15. nail — on a finger
  16. deal — an agreement
  17. key — the most important part
  18. key — in music
  19. drill — the tool
  20. straw — dry grass
  21. mate — to breed
  22. key — for a lock
  23. bat — the animal
  24. bat — in an idiom

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