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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. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  3. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  4. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  5. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  6. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  7. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  8. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  9. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  10. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  11. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  12. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  13. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  14. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  15. That was a fun ________________.
  16. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  17. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  18. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  19. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  20. Have you found your soul ________________?
  21. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  22. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  23. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  24. We had a fire ________________ at school today.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — the tool
  2. mate — to breed
  3. file — a line of people
  4. foot — the bottom
  5. foot — part of the body
  6. pound — for dogs
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. game — wild animals
  9. bank — for money
  10. file — a document
  11. file — a tool
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. pound — a weight
  14. mate — a friend
  15. game — a match
  16. game — a kind of play
  17. bank — for money
  18. lie — to recline
  19. foot — a measure
  20. mate — a partner
  21. drill — army training
  22. pound — to hit hard
  23. bank — of a river
  24. drill — a practice

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