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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. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  2. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  3. We're on a ________________ here.
  4. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  5. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  6. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  7. That must've been a ________________.
  8. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  9. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  10. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  11. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  12. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  13. My mare is ________________ in color.
  14. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  15. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  16. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  17. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  18. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  19. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  20. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  21. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  22. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  23. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  24. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — a practice
  2. shower — rain
  3. roll — on a roll
  4. bay — a part of the sea
  5. drill — the tool
  6. leaves — to go away
  7. rush — a thrill
  8. bowl — a dish
  9. drill — army training
  10. rush — hurry
  11. shower — to wash
  12. shower — a meteor shower
  13. bay — a horse colour
  14. bay — to keep at bay
  15. bowl — a football final
  16. leaves — of a tree
  17. roll — a list
  18. bowl — to roll
  19. rush — to hurry
  20. kid — child
  21. roll — a cake
  22. leaves — lets stay
  23. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  24. kid — to tease

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