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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 120 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. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  3. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  4. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  5. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  6. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  7. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  8. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  9. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  10. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  11. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  12. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  13. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  14. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  15. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  16. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  17. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  18. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  19. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  20. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  21. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  22. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  23. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  24. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — the tool
  2. fine — a penalty
  3. calf — of the leg
  4. drill — army training
  5. wound — an injury
  6. band — a rubber band
  7. fine — all right
  8. prune — to trim
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. prune — to trim
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. dip — a sauce
  13. dip — to sink
  14. present — a gift
  15. band — a ring
  16. present — the time now
  17. wound — an injury
  18. dip — to dunk
  19. wound — past of 'wind'
  20. fine — high quality
  21. prune — the fruit
  22. present — there
  23. drill — a practice
  24. band — a music group

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